B.C. premier defends new LNG pipeline with terminus near Prince Rupert

Katie DeRosa · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 09, 2025 11:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

B.C. Premier David Eby is defending the provincial government's support to proceed operation connected a caller pipeline task that volition proviso earthy state to a projected floating liquefied earthy state (LNG) terminal northbound of Prince Rupert, saying his authorities would not crook distant concern successful the province.

The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project is a associated task betwixt the Nisga'a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG to proviso earthy state to the projected Ksi Lisims LNG facility, a task the state says is inactive undergoing biology assessment.

"The Ksi Lisims task is an Indigenous-owned project led by the Nisga'a Nation. They are a pact federation that has power implicit their jurisdiction," Eby said, speaking from Seoul, South Korea, arsenic helium nears the extremity of his 10-day commercialized ngo to Asia. 

"They person a imaginativeness for economical maturation successful the area, for their people, which includes selling B.C. resources into the Asian market, wherever I americium close now."

The Nisga'a Nation and Western LNG accidental the Ksi Lisims task would beryllium a floating accumulation installation susceptible of producing 12 cardinal tonnes of LNG per year.

The task faces absorption from respective environmental groups and the Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, who reason it will person antagonistic biology consequences, including a risk to important salmon habitat.

Tara Marsden, sustainability manager for the Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, antecedently told CBC News determination are concerns about Western LNG's fiscal backing from Blackstone Inc.

Blackstone is simply a large American plus manager whose CEO publically endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump and contributed to his predetermination run — with Marsden saying the concern undermines immoderate conception that the task is needed to propulsion backmost against Trump's tariff threats. 

CBC News asked Eby whether the bulk of the profits from the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission task would enrich a U.S. company.

"We're not successful the concern of turning distant concern successful British Columbia," the premier responded. "Especially concern that assists america successful diversifying our customers for our resources and allows america to get a higher terms for those resources."

The pipeline was archetypal approved successful 2014 nether the ownership of Calgary-based TC Energy Corp, erstwhile it was meant to proviso the now-cancelled Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal spearheaded by Malaysian vigor elephantine Petronas.

It was purchased by the Nisga'a Nation and Western LNG successful 2024 nether their revised connection for the Ksi Lisims facility.

Eby says helium wants to enactment with Alberta

Eby was besides asked Monday astir comments from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who said she could person him to drop his absorption to a 2nd crude lipid pipeline from Alberta to B.C.'s North Coast. 

"I'm not the 1 who stands betwixt Premier Smith and a pipeline to the coast. There's nary proponent, there's nary money, there's nary task close now," Eby said.

"In the lawsuit that Premier Smith is palmy successful assembling those things, we'll transverse that span erstwhile we travel to it."

Prime Minister Mark Carney said past week helium supports "nation-building projects," including a imaginable decarbonized lipid pipeline — if helium tin find statement among the premiers. 

WATCH | Smith pushes for pipeline done northwest B.C.: 

Eby said companies successful South Korea that he's talking to are focused connected bringing successful hydrogen.

He said that would impact Alberta utilizing bluish hydrogen, and B.C. exporting greenish hydrogen, which he said would assistance successful c transition.

"I'm blessed to speech to Premier Smith astir our shared goals of expanding prosperity, astir uniting the country," helium told reporters.

"Focusing connected a task that presently does not exist, and focusing connected our differences alternatively than wherever we tin enactment together, is not the spirit."

Eby travelled from Malaysia to Seoul where he met with officials from conglomerates similar Hyundai and Samsung arsenic good arsenic the Canadian ambassador to South Korea.

His commercialized ngo to Asia, a bid to diversify the province's trading relationships amid the tariff warfare with the U.S., volition wrapper up Tuesday.