10/15/2026
🚨 UPDATE: Incase you haven’t hear, the federal government has designated the proposed Pacific Link oil pipeline a “Project of National Interest.” But Bill C-39 is still up for review and public comment.
The proposed pipeline would transport up to one million barrels of oil per day from Alberta to a new marine terminal at Roberts Bank in the Fraser River Estuary, bringing additional oil tanker traffic into the Salish Sea.
The consequences extend far beyond energy policy. Expanding oil production and transportation raises serious concerns about air and water pollution, toxic tailings, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate-driven impacts such as wildfire and smoke, with consequences for ecosystems and human health.
On the coast, the stakes are particularly high. The Fraser River Estuary provides vital habitat for salmon, migratory birds and countless other species, while the Salish Sea is critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Increased tanker traffic would add underwater noise and disturbance to an already stressed population, alongside the risk of an oil spill.
Pacific Wild joined with Indigenous Nations, environmental groups, and concerned individuals to submit feedback opposing the pipeline’s designation as a Project of National Interest. Projects of this scale require rigorous, transparent and science-based environmental assessment, with their cumulative impacts on climate, human health, Indigenous rights and biodiversity fully considered.
The B.C. Coast is not a sacrifice zone.
🚨➡️ Next on the federal threat list is Bill C-39 which could override Endangered Species protections, reduce public input, weaken safeguards for fish and important waterways, and create environmental exclusion zones where projects like pipelines, mines or AI data centres could be pre-approved without individual environmental assessments.
✍️ Use your voice! Visit https://buildcanadaclean.ca/ to use learn more and the action tools created by West Coast Environmental Law to have a say on Bill C-39!
⏰ Deadline for input is October 26.
📹 by Ian McAllister
