Will tariffs threat override Indigenous sovereignty in B.C? – The Narwhal

Feb. 12, 2025

B.C. Premier David Eby and other political leaders shouldn’t use this moment to backtrack on environmental protections or reconciliation

Nothing unifies Canadians like disdain for the United States. Many have argued this negative quality — “not American” — is our defining characteristic. Over the past few weeks, political leaders across Canada have attempted to shrug off that uninspiring reputation and envision a future less tethered to our neighbours, rallying around a vision of a robust Canadian economy that does not live and die by the American-bound goods that make up more than three quarters of our exports.

Hastening resource extraction — which makes up roughly 12 per cent of B.C.’s gross domestic product — is core to this political vision and, to that end, B.C. Premier David Eby recently announced 18 mining and energy projects his government intends to “fast-track.”