Three Innu communities in Quebec are calling for a pause on a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that would pass through their ancestral territories. The communities of Essipit, Mashteuiatsh, and Pessamit argue they have not been consulted about the pipeline, which would transport up to 15 million tonnes of LNG to Europe annually. The project, led by Kino Aski LNG, aims to connect eastern Ontario to Quebec’s Côte-Nord region, but the Innu communities insist they have not given their consent.
The pipeline would require over a thousand kilometres of infrastructure, including liquefaction plants and new port facilities, raising concerns about its environmental impact. Audrey-Lise Rock Hervieux, deputy chief of the Pessamit Innu council, emphasized the need for an independent assessment of the project’s environmental, social, and economic implications. The communities are urging the federal government not to fast-track the project using proposed bills C-5 or C-39.
Kino Aski LNG, co-owned by the Atikamekw Nation and Marinevest Energy Canada, has described the project as being developed under Indigenous ownership and leadership. However, the three Innu communities maintain they are not collaborating with the corporation and have not authorized it to speak on their behalf. The corporation declined to comment on the communities’ concerns.