The Supreme Court of Canada has denied leave to appeal a decision by the Federal Court of Appeal from September 4th, 2019 which significantly limited the grounds that the First Nations, including Tsleil-Waututh, could argue in the recent Coldwater case.  Tsleil-Waututh announced today that they would appeal the Coldwater decision, which upheld the approval of  the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX) after finding consultation to be adequate.

Tsleil-Waututh Nation is disappointed in today’s decision by the Federal Court of Appeal, but this is not the end of the story. 

“We are disappointed by today’s decision from the Federal Court of Appeal. In our view consultation was inadequate. Tsleil-Waututh was ready to sit at the consultation table to engage in meaningful dialogue and meaningful consultation,

For Immediate Release – Monday December 16, 2019

First Nations stand together against Trans Mountain: Federal Court of Appeal begins new round of hearings in Vancouver

Vancouver (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory) — Representatives of Indigenous communities fighting the Trans Mountain pipeline and tanker project (TMX) in the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) gathered today before hearings begin,

Their legal victory is yet another demonstration of the flawed process of Crown assessments of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
 
For a full text of the court decision
For Squamish’s statement on the decision

For Immediate Release

Original Six First Nations from Tsleil-Waututh v. Canada (Attorney General) 2018 granted leave

VANCOUVER – Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories – The same six First Nations that stopped the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in its tracks last year will have another chance at the Federal Court of Appeal.

This morning,

Vancouver, BC, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories

Prime Minister Trudeau today announced the federal cabinet’s decision to approve the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project, following a second round of consultations and a National Energy Board reconsideration.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation recently engaged in a renewed consultation process with the federal government, following the 2018 Federal Court of Appeal ruling that found Canada had not meaningfully consulted First Nations during the first round of engagement.

Tsleil-Waututh is working hard to restore the health of the Inlet to a state where we can once again harvest healthy, wild, marine food.

And after years of this restoration effort, in 2017 we conducted our first clam harvest in over 45 years.

Orcas too have returned to the Inlet for the first time in decades.

Regardless of who owns this proposed pipeline and tanker project, our Federal Court of Appeal case remains the same. In the near future, we believe the court will uphold our challenge that consultation was inadequate and the project review failed to address the adverse effects of marine shipping.
 
In the meantime, we will continue to uphold our sacred responsibility to steward our territory for the benefit of future generations.