A new energy company with partial aboriginal ownership is floating the idea of an oil refinery at Grassy Point, near Prince Rupert on BC’s north coast, according to a letter sent to members of a local First Nations band.
The letter, obtained through a facebook posting, was signed by chief/mayor of the Lax Kw’alaams Band, Garry Reece. It invites band members to two separate meetings about proposed energy projects. The first is an oil refinery put forth by Eagle Spirit Energy Holdings, Ltd., a company that was founded last year by Calvin Helin, an author and entrepreneur who identifies himself as member of Lax Kw’alaams First Nation and son of a hereditary chief.
The meeting is being held today “to provide Eagle Spirit Energy an opportunity to present their idea on the construction of an oil refinery and the shipment of oil from Grassy Point,” the letter indicates.
Grassy Point is also the site of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal proposed by an international consortium of companies.
A second meeting tomorrow is being convened “to provide a report on the activities associated with LNG on our traditional territory.” The band’s lead LNG negotiator will “discuss negotiations for a benefit package for Lax Kw’alaams.”
Eagle Spirit was launched in September of 2012, touted in a press release as “a new ground breaking Aboriginal-owned and controlled company…to assist aboriginal communities and individuals to become successful with managing economic opportunities in their traditional territories.” In the release, Chairman and President Helin stated:
[quote]We want to work with communities to establish a First Nations Energy Corridor across northern British Columbia.[/quote]
Helin, who has written and spoken extensively on indigenous self-reliance, has picked up some heavy-duty backing from investors like Vancouver’s Aquilini family, which owns the Vancouver Canucks and significant real estate holdings.
A Globe and Mail story on Eagle Spirit earlier this year suggested:
[quote]At a time when Canada faces seemingly intractable conflict between first nations and a resurgent resource sector, Eagle Spirit also presents a shimmer of hope that a third way may be possible.[/quote]
It also acknowledged “Eagle Spirit’s path, however, is unlikely to be easy, given the tremendous complexity of negotiating with dozens of first nations, and the huge cost and expertise required to build pipelines and power lines.”
It remains to be seen the level of planning Eagle Spirit has done for its proposed oil refinery, among a long list of other concerns – such as how the oil will be delivered to Grassy Point and how Helin will deal with the tremendous First Nations-led opposition to pipelines crossing their territories.
Helin’s proposal is sure to raise eyebrows in the energy sector, across BC and throughout First Nations communities.
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Rod Driediger
That is well said
I like what you wrote
Makes me realize that there is hope for us as a First Nations Force that can and will enforce our own invironmental regulations.
I have an still do work for an Oil Company an thier regulations are tough
I know cuase l work as a heavy equipment operator. I have seen an heard of inept poeple like neal young our canadian singer say that fort mcmurray is another hiroshima
We he should get his head out of the hard drugs he was on awhile ago an maybe take a real job with one of these companies an really see fir himself what life is REALLY like in the oilfields.
I have been to fort mcmurray an it in no way represents the view he portrayed
The First Nations there have just as hard a time there as in every first nation region.
Everyone should get MORE eduacated on invironmental issues instead of going with someone like neal youngs druggy point of view.
I would take what you said more seriously if you could spell ‘educated’ or ‘environment’ for that matter.
So, the incidents of cancer in First Nations down stream from the tar sands is for their benefit, is it? Other reserves don’t have to deal with that mess. What First Nations region are you referring too?
Agreed Chief Walking Eagle
invironmental, an (instead of and) thier (instead of their) cuase (instead of because) poeple (instead of people, or are poeple the ones that work for the pope lol) We he should get his head out of the hard drugs he was on awhile ago We he (kinda sums up that perhaps he doesn’t know where his head is at) an (instead of and) an (instead of and ) fir (instead of for, or is he referring to Neil as a tree? (Neal as he calls him) an (instead of and) eduacated (really? guess he took his educamashun seriously) invironmental (instead of environmental) I guess it shows that you don’t have to be very smart to be a heavy equipment operator for an oil company.
Not sure what kind of drugs you’re on Jack, either that or the money has blinded you from seeing the real and very extensive damages the tar sands are doing to the environment and your Indigenous brothers and sisters.
In this day an age a development like this is considered not politically correct.I can assure you Calvin is one of the few first nations businessmen out there with a passion to see his people of northwest get out of economic doldrums that has seen crash of Salmon sector an more unemployment. The hydro carbon argument is moot to the same type off development in Atlantic fin fish farms on south coast of BC very little is being said today of devestion caused to the bottom an marine enviroment as result of that activity.it seems the curse of Charles Hays vision an dream for north west is on ice still to this day.while it is highly unlikely a oil refinery will go there it is refreshing to see a group going thru the exercise of potential development are takeing a hard look at it as a option .
These people do not have the slightest idea of what it take to run a project like this nor the effect it will have on the environment…Calvin Helin, the Chief Fool of all fools, is a total cop out!…Careful people!…He’s in it to line his pockets with your money!! :O
Agreed Bill
Fool of all fools. To work with a oil company is not what we want near the Skeena River. Too much will go wrong, oil spills, derailments, and there goes the few salmon destroyed. Stay away from the Skeena River. We are the protectors that will stand strong against it.
I see very little difference between the oil and tabacco industries. They both have huge influence on governments and it’s people. Don’t fool yourself: the ONLY CONCERN IS PRIVATE SHARES AND PRIVATE MASSIVE PROFIT. You, the community and the environment are negotiable AND ACCEPTABLE LOSSES in the event of a disaster.
The Northcoast has seen a lot of changes and decline in the past 20 years, but don’t sell your grandchildren. It’s short term boom that quickly shrinks once up and running. Europe has seen it too many times. Remember Hybernia? They ended in up in beautiful Fort Mac. Those giant settling ponds are just a reflection of what’s in those pipelines: the dirtiest oil in the world.
It is proposed that tanker traffic in British Columbia could increase from 80 to 400 per year. If you have travelled or live near these waters and rivers you already know how powererful nature is on the Northcoast. And how powerless we are to control it.
Each tanker would be self incorporated, meaning it would be self insured!!?? Also meaning once untied from shore the oil and gas companies are no longer responsible or liable. Think you can sue an offshore corporation to clean up its act or mess?
Plenty of data and research on the Exxon Valdez. That wasn’t a big spill. Nature can clean it up and should be finished in about 90-100 more years. A big spill is estimated to take up to 400 years to recover. Alaska was only able to recover 18% of the spill. 6% can never be recovered. The rest is on the beach under the rocks.
You are not for sale. You can’t drink oil. Boomtowns rats carry many diseases and will always be the first to leave.
Many tough choices in our world’s environment and economies. Oil and and gas are driven by brute force and high cheap volume using local free water, which is no longer clean. Private Hydro electric projects? Very quite huge cash transfers. “Excess extra” power is put back into the grid and sold to the US, not to lower costs in Canada.
May wisdom and technology help us with wind and solar power. The locals know the lands and the waters better than any others. Who better to help guide us and preserve what has provided for us all of our lives.
Remember: all we have is what we borrow from our children and grandchildren. Take care of it. Take care if each other.
Very well written Stuart and I could not agree with you more!!…Excellent job!! 🙂
Well put Stuart
Thanks Mr. Mclean
You have touched all the angles of all interest
I appreciate your summarization of what this deal is all about regarding eagle spirit energy – which seems to me a negative energy in name of cooperate and governmental interests. not good for the coast which ultimately will have long term impacts. also, perhaps another name should have been chose as this is not what a real eagle symbolizes
NO PIPELINE OR LNG PLANT CAN REPLACE WHAT OUR WATERS HAVE GIVEN US TO SURVIVE ALL THESE YEARS. JUST GREEDY MONEY HUNGRY WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS BS PROPOSED LNG PLANT, BUT NOT ALL OUR PEOPLE! WE NEVER NEEDED THESE PIPELINES EVER WHEN OUR ANCESTORS WALKED THIS EARTH, AND I’M PRETTY DARN SURE THEY ARE TURNING OVER IN THEIR GRAVES AND MAD ABOUT THIS!! WAKE UP WAH. WE DO NOT WANT TO DIRTY OUR WATERS WITH MONEY HUNGRY GREEDY OIL DISTRIBUTORS, WE WANT TO KEEP IT CLEAN SO WE CAN ALL SURVIVE IN YEARS TO COME. YOU ALL JUST RENOVATED AND GOT THE CANNERY RUNNING FIRST TIME SINCE LATE 1980’S, WHY POLLUTE OUR WATERS JUST FOR A ONE TIME BIG PAYMENT TO ALL? ALL BS THIS IS, I’D RATHER GO BACK TO THE DAYS OF HOW OUR ANCESTORS LIVED THAN RISK SAYING GOOD BYE TO THE CLEAN SEA WATER WHERE WE ALL GET OUR SEAFOODS FROM. ALL IT TAKES IN ONE SPILL, ONE SPILL WILL WIPE US OUT! ONE BLOW UP WILL BURN US UP!! WAKE UP, SAY NO – NO – NO..WE DO NOT WANT THIS LNG PLANT BY GRASSY POINT OR THE ENBRIDGE PIPELINE, SAY NO.
This is disgusting and a huge slap in the face to the whole community of Prince Rupert. An oil refinery requires a lot of water. A LOT OF WATER. I do not see any community sharing water with this development. It is stupid reckless and extremely pretentious. Our water, food, our way of life. Calvin Helin is a fool
Interesting.
CNOOC has floated pulling out of Grassy Point for their LNG Play, and seem to be forshadowing a site purchase elsewhere in the region, in a go it alone sort of thing.
The piece does not touch on feedstock is there other pipeline proposals attached to this…
Helin is a sellout. Just because his parents are/were hereditary chiefs doesn’t give him carte blanche to destroy the collective future of the northwest. It is rumoured FN groups are being wooed with the prospect of owning pipeline portions across their traditional territory. Owners are responsible for cleaning up. Walk on, Calvin.
Gee, having First Nations people prosper from the resource opportunity in front of them and then even have them potentially self sufficient? You’re right Chief Walking Eagle, I guess it would be much better to keep all your people living in poverty with no hope for the future. Today’s system allows the chief’s (ah that’s you, isn’t it?) and their (your) close friends and ‘favoured people’ to have a comfortable life, but a very lousy one for everyone else. Today’s system works for you but is horrible for the FNP that aren’t ‘favoured’ by the chief. I wonder why you oppose both financial and emotional opportunities for the rest of the current and futures generations of FNP across Northern BC?
@ Rod Driediger
Either you have no clue concerning the risks involved in running oil from the Tar Sands to the coast, and then shipping it via supertanker, or you do know and you’re just playing Mr Make-believe that nothing bad like spills and leaks along rivers will ever happen.
Which one is it?
Sounds like somebody has no idea what they’re talking about. I mean you, Rod.
There is nothing in LNG but false hope and canned logic. I am not a chief yet, but I do speak to chiefs on a regular basis. What do you think I advise?
Any sort of prosperity gained from the destruction of drinking water is not prosperity. What’s the point of making money if the land which provides for us all is unable to provide anything but diseased fish and wildlife?
The Northeast people have already found out, in 10 short years, what LNG ‘prosperity’ costs.
What emotional opportunities are you referring too?
Calvin Helin is more than a fool, he’s a sellout to all of us.
Fresh water and a wonderful variety of seafood and our pristine environment are more important than this dirty oil project, these are the gifts the Creator gave to us and it is our duty and responsibility to protect these life sustaining gifts. Calvin Helin needs to have his head examined, there are obviously some screws that need adjusting.