Canadian court ruling complicates oil pipeline project

4:16 p.m. The future of a major oil pipeline project in British Columbia, the Northern Gateway, just became a little more uncertain after a landmark decision in the Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday. The ruling grants a broad title to Tsilhqot'in Nation over a section of interior British Columbia, located south of where the pipeline will run. Now, the government will have to consult with Tsilhqot'in Nation before starting economic projects that cut through its aboriginal land, according to the Canadian Press. But the land title isn’t absolute: economic projects can move forward without the native group’s consent, if the development is considered of major public interest, reports Reuters. The decision doesn’t directly impact the Northern Gateway but it could pave the way for other native groups to contest the pipeline, if they can establish a title over the land (a process which could take several years). As Crosscut's Floyd McKay reported Monday, opinions in Canada differ on whether Northern Gateway has a realistic chance of being built. But, if it is constructed, it would greatly increase the amount of oil tanker traffic along the Pacific Coast and, potentially, within the Salish Sea. — M.L.