Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Mar 11, 2026
Progress
This bill would repeal the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, removing the ban on large crude oil tankers on British Columbia's north coast.
Key Changes
- Repeals the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act (2019) in its entirety
- Removes the ban on crude oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tonnes in BC's northern coastal waters
- Allows large oil tankers to stop, load, and unload at ports along BC's north coast
- Eliminates federal restrictions that had blocked certain pipeline-to-port export projects in the region
Gotchas
- The bill is a single-clause repeal with no replacement framework, meaning there would be no specific federal rules governing tanker traffic in this region beyond existing general marine and environmental laws.
- Repealing the moratorium does not automatically approve any specific pipeline or port terminal project — those would still require separate regulatory approvals.
- Indigenous nations along BC's north coast, including the Gitga'at, Gitxaała, and others, were strong advocates for the original moratorium and may be significantly affected by its removal.
- Existing laws such as the Canada Shipping Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act would still apply, but the specific prohibition tailored to this region would be gone.
- As a Private Member's Bill, it faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support.
Who's Affected
- Oil and gas industry companies seeking export routes to Asian markets
- Indigenous communities along BC's north coast who opposed tanker traffic
- BC coastal communities and environmental groups concerned about oil spill risks
- Alberta oil producers who could gain new export options
- Marine shipping and port industries in northern BC
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill is a single-clause repeal with no replacement framework, meaning there would be no specific federal rules governing tanker traffic in this region beyond existing general marine and environmental laws.
- Repealing the moratorium does not automatically approve any specific pipeline or port terminal project — those would still require separate regulatory approvals.
- Indigenous nations along BC's north coast, including the Gitga'at, Gitxaała, and others, were strong advocates for the original moratorium and may be significantly affected by its removal.
- Existing laws such as the Canada Shipping Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act would still apply, but the specific prohibition tailored to this region would be gone.
- As a Private Member's Bill, it faces a lower likelihood of passing without government support.
Summary
Bill C-264 is a Private Member's Bill introduced by Mr. McKenzie in March 2026. It proposes to completely repeal the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which was passed in 2019. That original law banned crude oil tankers carrying more than 12,500 metric tonnes of oil from stopping, loading, or unloading at ports along British Columbia's northern coast — an area stretching roughly from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaska border. The Oil Tanker Moratorium Act was introduced to protect the sensitive marine ecosystems, coastlines, and Indigenous communities along BC's north coast from the risk of oil spills. It effectively blocked the export of Alberta oil sands crude through northern BC ports, including any potential future terminal at the end of a pipeline route. If this bill passes, the moratorium would be lifted entirely, meaning large crude oil tankers could once again legally operate in those northern BC waters. This could open the door to new pipeline and export terminal projects aimed at shipping Canadian oil to Asian markets.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses