Trans Mountain Expansion Hinges on Indigenous Stake, Group Says.

The article focuses on calls from the Western Indigenous Pipeline Group (WIPG), representing 36 First Nations communities, for the Canadian government to sell a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline to indigenous peoples before its planned expansion to 1.19 million barrels per day by 2028. WIPG argues that indigenous ownership, potentially up to 30% initially and 50% later, should occur now to ensure community buy-in and financial participation, contrasting with the government's position to wait until after expansion and toll finalization. The Trans Mountain pipeline, acquired by the government in 2018 and recently expanded to 890,000 barrels per day, has faced delays and cost overruns, and indigenous groups see ownership as key to future expansions, including a proposed deep-water terminal at Roberts Bank. The government’s previous efforts to involve indigenous communities stalled, and some indigenous leaders criticize the current approach as insufficient. [Extracted from the article]