* Please note, as of April 8, 2018, Trans Mountain has 43 Agreements with Indigenous groups in BC and Alberta, 33 of those are located in BC.

Aboriginal support for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is strong and growing, with 51 Aboriginal communities now in support of the Project. Since the Government of Canada announced its approval of the Project on November 29, 2016, 12 new communities have affirmed their support.

The Mutual Benefit Agreements (MBAs) that have been signed will see Trans Mountain share in excess of $400 million with those communities. The 51 Agreements include all of the First Nations whose Reserves the Project crosses and approximately 80 per cent of communities within proximity to the pipeline right-of-way.

“Together with these communities, we worked very hard to establish a relationship built upon respect, trust and openness. While there is understandably an interest in these numbers, to me, these MBAs represent not only an agreement to share opportunity and provide prosperity, but a symbol and recognition of a shared respect,” said Ian Anderson, President of Kinder Morgan Canada.

Agreements

• The 51 Agreements include 10 in Alberta and 41 in British Columbia.
• In total, Trans Mountain engaged with 133 Aboriginal communities and the 51 signed MBAs represent the majority of First Nations the Project crosses. This means, either the pipeline crosses their Reserve or traditional territory, or the tanker route crosses their traditional territory.
• The pipeline crosses nine First Nations Reserves in British Columbia, all of which Trans Mountain has agreements with.

Benefits

The MBAs are a result of one-on-one study and negotiations between each First Nation and Trans Mountain. While each of these MBAs reflects the unique circumstances of the First Nation involved, there are common elements in the Agreements. These elements include provisions relating to environmental protection, cultural and archaeological monitoring, and opportunities to share in the prosperity of development within their territories.

The MBAs confirm Trans Mountain’s commitment to provide direct benefits through employment, training, business opportunities, as well as supporting needed upgrades to community infrastructure.

Trans Mountain's plans are to maximize Indigenous, local and regional employment opportunities by working with communities, construction companies and industry associations along the Project corridor. The Project will create the equivalent of more than 15,000 jobs through construction and 37,000 during operation of the pipeline, including direct jobs building the pipeline and indirect jobs in sectors such as engineering, manufacturing and transportation in support of the Project.

About MBAs and Confidentiality

The majority of First Nations along the pipeline corridor have chosen to enter into Mutual Benefit Agreements with Trans Mountain. These Agreements are all unique and contractually confidential, but in general, they set out a framework for a First Nation and Trans Mountain to work cooperatively to reduce risk and maximize benefits in relation to the expansion project.