Newsletter: CEO on the go, Indigenous Clean Energy, and more . . .

Our newsletter, 22 October 2026

 CEO on the go

Alliance CEO Karen Ogen joined federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson (above) and Indigenous leaders at a roundtable at Fredericton NB, on potential future natural-gas development in New Brunswick.

Among the points she made as she spoke of natural-gas and LNG development in BC — and the benefits to First Nations:

• “When I was Chief (of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation) natural gas came to our door. Coastal GasLink wanted to build a pipeline through our territory to the LNG Canada plant in Kitimat.”
• “We also knew what poverty was doing to our families. Before these agreements, we were managing poverty. Too many people living in one house. Young people moving away to find work.”
• “We had a lot to learn, so we did our homework. Our council paid for our own studies on land use, cumulative impacts and social and economic effects. We reported to our members every month and answered every concern we heard. In the end, we signed agreements with the company and the province.”
• “Every First Nation along the route signed agreements too.”
• “First Nations in B.C. have gone from being neighbours of these projects to being owners. Sixteen Nations along Coastal GasLink have options to buy 10 per cent of the pipeline. The Haisla Nation is the majority owner of Cedar LNG.”
• More on the roundtable: https://bit.ly/4hMDgle

Karen also was on the move in B.C., from Lheidli Tenneh to Burns Lake, on a mission to shoot video interviews with First Nations leaders. ‘We got six completed in two days and still have a few more to do.”

With her in the photo above is Clay Pountney, director of title and rights at Lheidli T’enneh Nation.

We’ll post the videos, when they are complete, on our Alliance website (which is being re-engineered to make things easier and faster to find and view.)

Meanwhile, Karen continues to have a busy calendar. For example, she speaks on Nov. 5 to the spark Energy Summit in Calgary: https://www.sparkenergysummit.ca

And Alliance advisor Crystal Smith takes part Wednesday October 28 in the 2026 Regent Debate in Toronto, hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute: https://bit.ly/3W2qtTj

• See also the Events list below.

Indigenous Clean Energy

While our Alliance focuses on natural gas and LNG, especially when First Nations are involved, we also support, and keep an eye on, Indigenous clean energy:

• Carbonzero (GHG reduction, and carbon offset solutions company) is acquired by the Gitxaała Nation in BC: https://bit.ly/4Bep4Jl
• Four First Nations advance an Indigenous-owned solar project to supply a gold mine in Ontario: https://bit.ly/4dxW59f
• First Nation in Nova Scotia launches joint clean-energy venture processing sea water to produce jet fuel: https://bit.ly/4ykchT1
• Two First Nations partner in a proposed nuclear transportable power plant in New Brunswick: https://bit.ly/47Z5ROo
• A First Nations consortium in Nova Scotia is negotiating an ownership stake in a data centre powered by wind: https://bit.ly/47XWJcU

Also in the news

•  Five First Nations in BC invest $65.3 million of own-source funds in the Coastal GasLink pipeline, through TC Energy. News release from Haisla Nation, Halfway River First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations:
• In the first eight months of LNG Canada exports, approximately 40% of shipments went to South Korea, 25% to Japan, 25% to China and the remainder to Taiwan. And the demand extends beyond LNG Canada’s existing operations: https://bit.ly/4yVDSv2
• Buried beneath northeastern B.C. is the Montney Formation, one of North America’s largest natural-gas resources. How did it get there? Siavash Tahan explains, in this video from Resource Works: https://bit.ly/4zwMvMh
• Three Innu Nations in Quebec ask for independent studies of the Indigenous-led Kino Aski LNG project: https://bit.ly/4BaFjqM
• LNG got a mention — and a difference of opinion from two party leaders — in the leaders’ debate in the campaigning for the Oct. 24 B.C. election: https://bit.ly/3TUrY5p

EVENTS

• Oct. 26: First Nations-First Ministers’ Meeting, Ottawa. (Not open to the public.) https://bit.ly/3U0J0P5
• Oct. 26-28: World Indigenous Business Forum, Winnipeg: https://bit.ly/4wYCir7
• Oct. 26-29: Canadian Gas Association, CGA Energy Week, Toronto: https://bit.ly/4vs7f5J
• Oct. 28: Alliance advisor Crystal Smith takes part in the 2026 Regent Debate in Toronto, hosted by the C.D. Howe Institute: https://bit.ly/3W2qtTj
• Oct. 28-29: Vancouver International Security Summit: https://bit.ly/4hwy70V. Alliance CEO Karen Ogen is a speaker.
• Nov. 4-5: spark Indigenous Energy Summit, Calgary: https://bit.ly/4rwUpmj
• Nov. 13: Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Energy and Natural Resources Forum, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4yFDi47
• Nov. 17-19: Marine Renewables Canada Conference, Ottawa: https://bit.ly/4ezd2Bj
• Nov. 27: Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., online Indigenous Consultation & Engagement: Level 2: https://bit.ly/4rOJzYN
• Nov. 30-Dec. 1: Clean Energy BC’s First Nations Energy Summit, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4xMQfci
• Dec. 8-10: Assembly of First Nations, Special Chiefs Assembly, Ottawa: https://ow.ly/fg9E50ZWkhA

2027 EVENTS

• Jan. 12-14 (New date): National Coalition of Chiefs’ energy and natural resource summit, Calgary: https://bit.ly/4qSEVZo
• Jan. 19-21: BC Natural Resources Forum, Prince George: https://bit.ly/4vcSF25
• Jan. 22: Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s 38th annual Economic Outlook Forum, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/47atuTS
• Feb. 1-4: Assembly of First Nations’ National Natural Resources Forum, Montreal: https://bit.ly/4r5VGQZ
• Feb. 10-11: Assembly of First Nations Education Forum, Halifax: https://ow.ly/Rc4j50ZYCjz
• April 11-13: First Nations Major Projects Coalition conference, Toronto: https://bit.ly/3TkH57K
• April 12-14: Canada Gas and LNG conference, Vancouver: https://bit.ly/4hIupkQ
• July 6-8: Assembly of First Nations’ annual general assembly, Edmonton. Details TBA.

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(Posted here 25 October 2026)