$2.4‑billion Cedar LNG project on Haisla-owned land near Kitimat gets B.C. approval

The Haisla First Nation has been given the green light by the province to move ahead with the Cedar LNG project, the first Indigenous majority-owned liquefied natural gas export facility in Canada.

The $2.4‑billion project was approved by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office and will be subject to strict targets to meet B.C.’s climate goals, Premier David Eby announced at a press conference in Vancouver Tuesday alongside Haisla Nation Chief Councillor Crystal Smith.

The project, Eby said, “will provide unprecedented economic opportunity for both the Haisla Nation and the region.” It will create good-paying jobs, he said, employing up to 500 people during construction and 100 people once the facility is operational.

The Haisla Nation has partnered with Pembina Pipeline Corporation to build the floating LNG facility and marine terminal in the Douglas Channel near Kitimat. The project is on the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.