Chief Mi’sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation has a imaginative and prescient for exports to Europe of LNG from Newfoundland and Labrador, even when Prime Minister Trudeau doesn’t.
The PM declared a yr in the past that there has “by no means been a powerful enterprise case” for LNG exports from Canada’s East Coast to Europe; he proposed that, as an alternative, Canada ship pure fuel to the U.S. so the People can flip it into LNG and promote it to Europe.
Chief Joe: “Properly, I feel that’s a bunch of crap. We’ve got to work on that one. We have to come along with some actually good plan to make a presentation to the federal government.”
Trudeau’s lack of enthusiasm was delivered throughout a 2022 go to to Canada by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz got here on the lookout for LNG from Canada so Germany might cut back its dependence on Russian fuel, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now Germany is coping with Qatar and different LNG suppliers.
Chief Joe now’s pursuing direct discussions by his Nation with the German chief.
“We thought it’s higher to have direct nation-to-nation contact with Germany. We plan to fulfill with the chancellor to speak in regards to the points we’ve right here, and perhaps discover funding that we will use.
“The plan that we’ve, which is able to materialize, I hope, is that we’d go to Germany someday subsequent spring, or earlier. We’ve been speaking with German officers, simply to ensure we’re staying within the sport.”
The Miawpukek First Nation has a 5% fairness stake (“and we’ve an choice to go larger”) in LNG Newfoundland and Labrador Ltd., which proposes a $5.5-billion natural-gas liquefaction facility and marine export terminal at Arnold’s Cove, Placentia Bay, NL.
It will course of fuel that might come from the offshore Jean d’Arc Basin, south and east of St. John’s NL.
The Atlantic basin has 5 working oil wells, however appreciable pure fuel stays to be tapped. LNG Newfoundland and Labrador would convey it to Arnold’s Cove by under-sea pipeline.
The corporate says its onshore plant can be powered with renewable hydroelectric vitality. And “LNG NL’s liquefaction CO2 emissions will even be the bottom on this planet.”
Chief Joe says of the mission: “Proper now, it’s gradual going. Lack of funding, primarily. LNG can work right here, given the correct of funding. The drive is right here to do it. The initiative is there. Proper now, it’s missing funding.”
His Nation (slightly over 800 members on reserve and 22 off reserve) additionally has different irons within the hearth.
For one, it has Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Companies, which advanced from Miawpukek seafarers working with the fleet of vessels and providers of Horizon Maritime, which operates in Canada and Norway.
“We’ve got offshore vessels and we’re closest to the offshore fields. We take a look at that as a optimistic for us. And when you’re delivery out of Newfoundland, our territory is a perfect place to ship from, to locations in Europe and different locations all over the world.”
As nicely, the Nation’s curiosity in maritime providers might result in the acquisition of recent vessels, jobs for seafarers to work these vessels, and income coming again to the south-coast neighborhood.
“Proper now, we’ve 100% employment, but it surely takes so much to keep up that 100%. So any income that comes again would even be paying for the upkeep of this neighborhood.”
And now the Miawpukek Nation additionally has simply signed an settlement with Marathon Gold’s Valentine Gold Undertaking in central Newfoundland and Labrador. It plans to be the most important gold mine in Atlantic Canada.
“We signed an settlement, to ensure we play a job within the environmental points that encompass that.” The Nation will even obtain some employment. “We even have choices to getting concerned when it comes to development.”
The Miawpukek Nation is a member of the First Nations LNG Alliance.
“We’re on their own right here in Newfoundland. We’re just one First Nation. We understand that there’s power in numbers, particularly throughout the nation. With numbers, we’re hoping that we will make some better floor. It’s fairly troublesome to make it from Newfoundland by ourselves.”
Chief Joe is hereditary Saqamaw and religious chief of his Nation, and is at present serving his 14th consecutive two-year time period as elected Administrative Chief. He’s additionally Newfoundland District Chief for the Mi’kmaq Grand Council.
In 2018, Chief Joe was awarded the Order of Canada for management in growing and enhancing the well-being and monetary vitality of Miawpukek Nation.
Chief Mi’sel Joe
(Posted right here 23 August 2023)
