On Thursday, the Cold Lake First Nations lodged an application for judicial review in Federal Court, challenging Ottawa’s decision to label the Pacific Link pipeline as a project of national interest.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced last week that the Pacific Link, which will run from Alberta to British Columbia, will be fast‑tracked under the Building Canada Act. The government aims to finish all reviews and consultations within a year so construction can start next September.

Chief Kelsey Jacko, leader of the Cold Lake First Nations, said his community was left out of the consultation process even though it sits in the oilsands region. He noted that more than 120 other nations have been consulted while his people have not.

Carney also promised that Indigenous communities would receive at least a 10 % ownership stake in Pacific Link. In the same announcement he referenced the Pathways carbon‑capture project, which is intended to store millions of tonnes of CO₂ underground.

A spokesperson for the Privy Council Office clarified that Pacific Link and the Pathways Project are separate initiatives, each with its own proponent and regulatory pathway. The office added that Indigenous consultation on the Pathways Project is the responsibility of the provincial authorities overseeing its review.

The Cold Lake First Nations argue that the fast‑track decision breaches Canadian law and the Crown’s honour, and that it threatens their treaty‑protected way of life. They fear that waste could be stored under their land and that the lack of meaningful consultation undermines their rights under Treaty 6.