Coastal Nations want ‘master planning,’ not piecemeal projects

By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer When Heiltsuk Nation Chief Marilyn Slett invited coastal leaders to gather in Bella Bella, BC, she was expecting a potential fight against Alberta’s proposed new oil pipeline to the North Coast. But after a July 2 announcement moved that threat south, they met anyway — to plan for the pressures already building on the ocean. “We’re not operating from a state of crisis,” said Slett, who is also president of Coastal First Nations. “But we’re not completely future-proof.” The federal announcement sent Alberta’s propo…