Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to the media at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France on Jan. 6, 2026. Mr. Carney plans to meet with Coastal First Nations this week to discuss natural resources projects.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Coastal First Nations in British Columbia Tuesday for discussions on natural resources developments planned for the region, ahead of a major overseas trip focused on finding new markets and investment for Canadian goods.
The meeting in Prince Rupert follows frustration and anger from B.C. First Nations late last year after they were caught off guard by a new energy accord struck between Alberta and Ottawa. That agreement, among other things, sets the stage for a new oil pipeline to the West Coast and a potential lift of the tanker ban.
A senior government source told The Globe and Mail that Mr. Carney expects to cover several subjects in Tuesday’s meeting, including how Indigenous communities can be partners in major projects.
The Globe is not naming the source as they were not authorized to provide advance notice of Mr. Carney’s itinerary.
After the meeting, Mr. Carney will travel to China, Qatar and Switzerland as part of his strategy to diversify Canada’s export markets and bring new investment to the country as the Canada-U.S. relationship falters.
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Fast-tracking natural resource development within Canada is also part of that strategy.
Last year, Mr. Carney’s government launched a new approach to the sector. It included setting up a Major Projects Office charged with speeding along significant developments. Thirteen projects have already been referred, including several in B.C.
The Carney government has pledged that partnership with Indigenous communities is central to resource development.
Coastal First Nations leadership are expected to speak with reporters after Tuesday’s meeting. In an advisory for their press conference, the alliance said it is “looking forward to a productive and collaborative discussion with Prime Minister Carney on how to advance shared priorities around sustainable economic development and marine protection in the region.”
Some of the projects already before the MPO have significant support from B.C. First Nations, including the construction of two liquefied natural gas facilities in the province.
Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Coastal First Nations in Prince Rupert, B.C. amid concerns about his recent energy agreement that opened the door to a new pipeline to the B.C. coast. He'll be joined by Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, whose relationship with Coastal First Nations got off to a rocky start.
The Canadian Press
But community leaders and B.C. politicians are warning that support is at stake after Mr. Carney signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta last year that includes support for the new pipeline.
Among other things, the MOU says the federal government would consider lifting a current ban on oil tankers so that product can be shipped from the pipeline’s terminus to Asian markets.
When the deal was announced, Coastal First Nations president Marilyn Slett said the pipeline will never become a reality.
“We will never consent to allowing oil tankers in our coastal waters,” she said at the time. “We will never tolerate exemptions to an oil tanker ban that has existed for over 50 years, and it is foundational to protecting our economy and our way of life.”
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Coastal First Nations is the name of an alliance of First Nations groups whose traditional territories are along B.C.’s central and northern coast.
Ms. Slett is the elected chief of the Heiltsuk First Nation, whose community has been fighting for greater control over marine traffic since a tugboat carrying oil ran aground in its territory in 2016. The incident resulted in the closing of seafood harvesting that the Heiltsuk depend on.
After the MOU was signed, Coastal First Nations also expressed frustration they had not been consulted ahead of time, and also that they weren’t able to attend a meeting with Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson afterwards because it was scheduled on short notice.
The government source said Mr. Hodgson will be part of the delegation in B.C., as will Housing Minister Gregor Robertson and B.C. MP Wade Grant, who is a member of the Musqueam Nation.
The discussions will also touch on marine conservation and ocean protections and how Indigenous communities can play a lead role in those areas, the source said.