Prime Minister Mark Caney is in Terrace today, to announce another round of projects the Federal Government will prioritize as “Nation-building” projects.
The first round of fast-tracked major projects was announced in mid-September, including the Haisla-backed Cedar LNG terminal, and the expansion of the Red Chris Mine near Smithers.
Today’s announcement was in Terrace, as it will be the site of one end of the North Coast Transmission Line.
Along with the transmission line, an Ontario nickel mine is among the latest projects being submitted for a fast-track approval process.
The other projects include a tungsten mine in New Brunswick, a graphite mine in Quebec and the Nisga’a -backed Ksi-Lisims liquefied natural gas project.
Projects referred for possible fast-tracking are reviewed by the Major Projects Office but the government has the final say.
Ksi-Lisims is designed to be a massive LNG export facility in waters off the province’s northwest, in Nisga’a Nation territory. Based on two floating platforms, it would process up to 22.4 billion cubic metres of gas per year resulting in exports of 12 million tonnes of LNG per year. That is almost as much as the 14-million-tonne capacity of the first phase of the LNG Canada project in Kitimat, B.C. Gas for Ksi Lisims LNG would come via the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline that is being built in northern B.C., while the finished product is being targeted to Asian markets.
Electricity for the facility would come from the planned North Coast Transmission Line, running about 450 kilometres from Prince George to Terrace, B.C. The B.C. government has made the line a priority to provide electricity to support new industrial projects including critical mineral mines, and Premier David Eby has said he will stake his government on legislation to support the line which has an estimated $6 billion price tag. Carney said Thursday that the Canada Infrastructure Bank would loan BC Hydro $140 million for the project.
Ksi Lisims LNG is being developed in partnership between the Nisga’a Nation, Rockies LNG Ltd. Partnership and Western LNG. But documents show the project’s assets will be constructed, owned and operated by wholly owned subsidiaries of Western LNG, based in Houston, Texas.
While the Nisga’a Nation is a partner in the project, four of six other First Nations asked to provide consent did not grant it, and numerous environmental groups are also opposed. The project faces separate legal challenges from the Lax Kw’alaams Band and the Metlakatla First Nation. Both allege the Minister of Environment and Climate Change ignored their concerns about adverse impacts and say they have outstanding Aboriginal title claims for the Mylor Peninsula, where construction of a transmission line is needed to power the facility.
-with files from the Canadian Press