Canadian court blocks contentious oil pipeline

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal blocked a controversial oil pipeline Thursday after years of protest by environmentalists.

The court ruled that Canada’s federal government did not properly consult with First Nations on or near the route of the Enbridge Inc.’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline, The Globe and Mail reported.

{mosads}The project was controversial across the continent. It would carry oil sands petroleum from Alberta to the Pacific coast, providing a means for export, the same purpose as the Keystone XL project that President Obama rejected last year.

Northern Gateway was frequently compared to Keystone by environmentalists seeking to sow opposition, and both projects were being planned at the same time.

Canada’s previous conservative government approved Northern Gateway in 2014, but a coalition of First Nations, environmentalists and labor challenged the decision in court.

The court said Thursday that the government “fell well short of the mark” in consulting with First Nations and accommodating their concerns, a process that was done in a “brief, hurried and inadequate” manner, the Globe and Mail said.

Opponents on both sides of the border cheered the ruling.

“Today’s ruling shows what the people have been saying all along — this pipeline will never be built,” said Sven Biggs of Stand, an environmental group that participated in the litigation. “This is a victory for our climate, our coast and for First Nations communities in determining their own future.”