B.C. First Nations oppose Enbridge pipeline

A large coalition of B.C. First Nations has publicly declared opposition to a proposed pipeline that would deliver oil from the Alberta oilsands to waiting ships on the coast of British Columbia, saying it will do whatever it takes to halt the project.

Coastal First Nations from Vancouver Island to the B.C.-Alaska border announced their decision Tuesday, on the 21st anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

The Enbridge pipeline would stretch more than 1,000-kilometres from the oilsands near Edmonton to the northwestern B.C. coastal town of Kitimat, before crude would be loaded onto tankers for export across the ocean.

Coastal First Nations executive director Art Sterritt said that after five years of scientific research and community consultations, the groups have found "no good" can come from the project.

He said if the project goes forward, it will jeopardize the land, people and wildlife for generations to come.

Enbridge says its Northern Gateway Project will create more than 4,000 construction jobs and generate tax revenue for both provinces, and asserts that ships have safely carried petrochemicals out of the Kitimat port for 25 years.