The Métis Settlements of Alberta have announced their interest in purchasing an ownership stake in the proposed Alberta–West Coast oil pipeline, positioning the project as a path toward long-term financial sustainability for Métis communities.
Dave Lamouche, president of Alberta’s eight Métis settlements, said the pipeline could provide essential revenue streams and enable communities to become fully self-sufficient by 2038. He emphasized that Alberta’s offer of full partnership and participation creates new opportunities for Indigenous co-ownership—a principle enshrined in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last week by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith.
However, Lamouche acknowledged that Coastal First Nations in British Columbia have strong and legitimate concerns. The same MOU signals that the federal government may consider adjustments to the northern B.C. oil tanker ban to facilitate Asian market access—an idea firmly rejected by Coastal First Nations, who insist the ban is non-negotiable. Lamouche says he hopes to meet with these Nations to explore whether collaboration is possible; if not, he noted, alternative paths will have to be discussed.
The pipeline issue is set to dominate this week’s Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa, where B.C. First Nations leaders plan to introduce an emergency resolution urging the AFN to defend the tanker moratorium ahead of Prime Minister Carney’s address. Regional Chief Terry Teegee said the proposal has caused deep mistrust, calling Alberta’s pipeline push “a slap in the face” and warning that First Nations rights, title, and consent cannot be compromised.
Despite the tensions, Lamouche believes Alberta’s approach marks a shift toward meaningful partnership, contrasting it with past “box-checking” consultation processes. The Métis Settlements are exploring loan guarantees through the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to secure potential equity. If realized, Lamouche says, revenues from the project could help fund critical infrastructure—roads, water systems, and wastewater services—in their communities. For Alberta’s Métis, the pipeline represents both an economic opportunity and a test of whether competing Indigenous visions can find common ground in one of the most contentious energy debates in the country.
