Forging a path forward: Celebrating the Nadleh Whut'en & Macro Pipelines partnership
Early last month, we announced the partnership between Macro Pipelines and Nadleh Whut’en, who will build a large section of Section 5 on Coastal GasLink. This partnership provides an exciting new opportunity to build upon our established relationship with Nadleh Whut’en, and will contribute to economic development, employment, skills training and contracting opportunities for the Nadleh Whut’en community.
Following the announcement of this partnership, a blessing ceremony was held at Little Rock Lake Lodge on Nadleh Whut'en territory to honour and celebrate the importance of our relationships with the community as we work to advance economic reconciliation.
“Economic reconciliation means a lot to the Nadleh people, because it means we have a revenue share and our own source of funding,” explained former Johnny Ketlo Jr, Nadleh Whut'en, speaking at the event. “If you miss those opportunities all the time, you’re still going to be on the outside looking in. Well, I’m tired of being on the outside looking in.”
Over the years, the community has sought meaningful ways to heal from the past and is determined to seek out opportunities to participate with industry to progress their own financial independence and support their commitments to their land.
We have been working with Nadleh Whut’en to build a strong foundation for these types of opportunities for years. In 2019, Coastal GasLink and Nadleh Whut’en First Nations unveiled Little Rock Lake Lodge, a new workforce accommodation site, built on the site of the former Lejac Residential School.
"It’s about more than just the work for us, it’s about the people,” said Councilor Damien Ketlo, Nadleh Whut’en. “Today, we are acknowledging that we have put the work in to get this far, but we are also acknowledging that we will continue to build this relationship – not only for future generations, but for those standing here today,” he continued.
This partnership between industry and an Indigenous community follows the Ledcor-Haisla Limited Partnership announced in May 2021. Partnerships like these are one of the many ways we are working together with our Indigenous partners to advance reconciliation efforts and foster a lasting legacy.
