Politics have a huge effect on business. Within Canada one such area of politics effecting business especially regarding natural resources and the environment in the north would be disputes between the government and the First Nations people. One project which is greatly affected by this is the Northern Gateway Pipeline which is a project to construct twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta, to Kitimat, British Columbia.

What makes this such an issue for some Aboriginal groups is that BC’s north is a very delicate ecosystem and any disruptions especially a spill from the pipeline could cause irreparable damages and the Aboriginals would be left to live with it once the government mandated cleanup would be completed. For other Aboriginal tribes, like the Wet’suwet’en, about 140 km of Gateway would be built on their territory, and they believe the environmental approval process for the pipeline will infringe on their constitutional rights as set out in the Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, since it does not include a mandate to look into aboriginal rights and title.

I think, the Northern Gateway Pipeline is a good idea of the economy of Canada however it is easy for me to say that as if a spill did occur, I would not be the one left to live with the consequences, and I am not the one who’s rights are allegedly being infringed on. Looking from the outside it may be easy to make a judgment however digging deeper into the topic and looking at the issue in different perspectives it is easy to see the challenges associated with such a big project which deals with people of different cultures and backgrounds.