Northern Alberta chief says Aboriginal oilsands foes are poorly informed

The groups said they are targeting proposed pipeline projects including TransCanada’s Energy East, Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion.

Boucher told reporters it’s “naive” to think Canada can prosper without a healthy oil and gas industry. He gave a speech Monday at the Pipeline Gridlock Conference in Calgary hosted by the Indian Resource Council, a group that advocates on behalf of First Nations with energy holdings.

The Fort McKay First Nation owns a group of companies that offer services including earthworks, fuel delivery, environmental services and land leasing operations to the oilsands industry. Boucher said the group earned revenue of $2.3 billion over the past five years.

Last month, the nation agreed to invest $350 million in a $1-billion tank farm being built by Suncor Energy for its Fort Hills oilsands mine.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations also spoke at the event Monday.

He said he supports the Indian Resource Council’s effort to present the view of those who depend on the oil and gas business.

“It’s not about shutting off a pipeline or shutting down the oil and gas industry because we all travel by vehicles, we all travel by planes,” he said. “But there has to be a sustained approach.”

He said he believes it’s possible for indigenous people to arrive at consensus through ongoing respectful dialogue.

Follow @HealingSlowly on Twitter.

Dan Healing, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Northern Alberta chief says Aboriginal oilsands foes are poorly informed

What's Happening