B.C. Premier and Coastal Nations urge Ottawa to keep North Coast oil tanker ban

British Columbia Premier David Eby has joined leaders from coastal First Nations in signing a declaration urging the federal government to uphold the moratorium on oil tankers along the province’s northern coastline.

Eby said a single oil spill in the ecologically sensitive region could wipe out billions of dollars in coastal economic activity, warning that current technology cannot effectively clean up such a disaster.

The call comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith renews her push to have the ban lifted as part of her government’s plan to pursue a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast.

Chief Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations, said the tanker ban reflects more than five decades of advocacy from coastal communities and remains “foundational” to both environmental protection and regional prosperity. Jason Alsop, president of the Haida Nation, added that there is “absolutely no support for pipelines” or oil tankers in waters surrounding Haida Gwaii.

The joint declaration warns that repealing the ban would endanger major projects, threaten marine ecosystems, and undermine billions in sustainable investment. It calls on Ottawa to treat protection of the North Coast as a national responsibility vital to Canada’s long-term environmental and economic health.

The statement is signed by Eby, Slett, Alsop, Lax Kw’alaams Mayor Garry Reece, Indigenous Tourism B.C. representative Paula Amos, and hereditary elder Clarence Innis.