Local First Nations & Metis Settlements part of $1.1B purchase of Enbridge assets

Local First Nations and Metis Settlements are part of a large Indigenous group that has made a significant investment in seven Enbridge-operated pipelines. 

Frog Lake, Cold Lake, Beaver Lake, Kehewin, Onion Lake, Saddle Lake, Goodfish Lake First Nations, and Kikino, Elizabeth, Fishing Lake Métis Settlements are part of Athabasca Indigneous Investments, a group of 23 Indigenous communities, that acquired an 11.57 per cent interest in seven Enbridge-operated pipelines in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta for $1.12 billion.

This includes the Athabasca Pipeline, Athabasca Twin and Wood Buffalo Extension Pipelines, Norlite Diluent Pipeline, Waupisoo Pipeline, Wood Buffalo Pipeline, Woodland Pipeline, and Woodland Extension Pipeline. 

“I hope the industry and other levels of government are paying attention, because our people should not be living in poverty in the land of milk and honey,” said Frog Lake chief Greg Desjarlais at a news conference. 

“It’s going to allow us to send our kids to school. It’s going to allow us to send more people to treatment. It’s going to allow us to deal with the mental (health) crisis that we have in our communities, the anxiety of the young people.” 

The deal is expected to close later this October.