Otipemisiwak Métis Government Responds to Northern Shield Energy Corridor Announcement
Posted on: Jul 09, 2026
EDMONTON — On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled the proposed route for the Northern Shield Energy Corridor, a 3,300-kilometre crude oil pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Sarnia, Ontario. President Andrea Sandmaier issued the following statement on behalf of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government:
“A proposed route through this province is a route through our Métis homeland.
“This is the kind of infrastructure Canada needs, and Métis Citizens are ready to be part of building it. But the feasibility study is already underway, an advisory team is already engaged, and commercial models are already being examined. Where the Otipemisiwak Métis Government fits in that process has not been answered. That needs to change now, not at the end of the study.
“The duty to consult does not wait for a final map. We are a federally recognized Indigenous government representing more than 78,000 rights-bearing Métis Albertans whose rights are protected under Section 35 of the Constitution. A corridor of this scale, crossing this province, triggers that duty. We are not a stakeholder to be notified after decisions are made.
“Our constitutional rights guarantee that we are due involvement in these decisions, not simply information once they are made. Our proposed interim consultation protocol exists to make that process straightforward for everyone involved. We are calling on the Government of Alberta to adopt it before this project moves any further.
“The Métis Nation helped build this country. We want to help build this pipeline, too. But partnership means being at the table from the start.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Kenny Trenton
Press Secretary, Otipemisiwak Métis Government
ktrenton@metis.org