First Nations launch eight court challenges to Pacific Link pipeline

First Nations in British Columbia have filed eight separate legal challenges against Ottawa's decision to designate the Pacific Link oil pipeline a project of national interest. The designation is meant to speed approval of the line, which would carry Alberta oil to the B.C. coast. The Tsartlip First Nation called the federal decision reckless and rushed, warning that the coastline holds fishing areas vital to its people. The challenges set up a significant new legal test of the government's push to fast-track major infrastructure, and they highlight the continuing tension between resource development and Indigenous rights and title in Canada.