Canada's West Coast Pipeline Project Fast-Tracked Amid Climate Concerns

The federal government has moved to fast-track the West Coast Pipeline project by designating it as a 'project of national interest' under the Building Canada Act. This move bypasses several laws, including the Impact Assessment Act and the Species at Risk Act.

The notice for public comments was published in the Canada Gazette on August 1, with a deadline of September 18. The project would be funded predominantly by taxpayers through federally-owned Trans Mountain Corporation and the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission.

Opponents of the pipeline are urging Canadians to speak out against the project, which they say is not in the national interest but rather serves Big Oil's interests. NDP Leader Avi Lewis called it 'corporate welfare on a surreal scale.'