Alberta to fund potential legal challenge of B.C. oil tanker ban by 2 Metis nations

Edmonton -

Two Alberta Métis nations will receive funding from the province’s Indigenous Litigation Fund Grant to sue the federal government over a ban on oil tankers loading at ports in northern B.C.

Willow Lake and Fort McKay Métis nations will get more than $372,000 to challenge Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, that came into law in June of 2018.

“They have shut a door directly in our face that we will use to help our community and other communities prosper,” said Ron Quintal, president of Fort McKay Métis Nation, of the federal law.

“Reconciliation is about opportunity. It is about highlighting other opportunities for Indigenous people to follow.”

The bill drew the ire of many in Alberta who said it hamstrung the province’s oil industry by limiting the movement of its oil.

It imposes a moratorium on oil tankers north of Vancouver Island, and will undergo a mandatory review every five years.

Calling it a “credible legal claim,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the nations are standing up for their people’s economic interests.

“We are committed to economic reconciliation and together we can stand up against discriminatory federal legislation and be true partners in prosperity.”

The Métis Nation of Alberta, a 93-year-old organization that bills itself as the only democratically elected government of the Métis, was less enthusiastic about Monday’s announcement.

It says the new funding was being directed towards “outside organizations claiming to represent Métis interests.”

“This is a bad decision by the premier and represents a clear misuse of public money,” said Audrey Poitras, MNA president.

“These organizations do not speak for the Métis Nation, the Métis people or Métis communities in Alberta.”

The MNA was founded in 1928 and says it represents over 51,000 registered citizens.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Rick Wilson said the government hadn’t talked with the MNA, but said the two nations brought the plan to the government on their own.

“We support all Métis people of Alberta,” Wilson said. “There’s not just one group that represents all the Métis people.”

According to the province, the Indigenous Litigation Fund backs Indigenous-led legal actions challenging federal legislation that hinders major energy projects in Alberta.