North Vancouver – The Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) has filed a judicial review to overturn the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s (VFPA) permit allowing the VFPA to dredge tsa-ah-nah (Second Narrows area) of səlilwət (Burrard Inlet).
“While Tsleil-Waututh understands the proposed dredge is an important step for Canada’s international trade objectives, including increasing the amount of oil moving through the Inlet from Westridge Marine Terminal, the approval process has been rushed and has not addressed any of Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s concerns about marine shipping impacts,” said Chief Justin George.
“Tsleil-Waututh has a sacred stewardship obligation, a responsibility to care for our lands, air and waters. While we attempted to resolve these outstanding issues in good faith, our concerns were ignored, leaving us no choice but to go to court to protect our territory and interests. A well-planned economic initiative needs to include addressing and accommodating impacts to Tsleil-Waututh’s inherent and constitutionally-protected rights. That did not happen here.”
This proposed dredge represents a major undertaking with far-reaching implications for Canada, for our Tsleil-Waututh people, and for the territory we are obliged to protect. Tsleil-Waututh Nation will continue to uphold our sacred duty to protect the Inlet and ensure that current and future generations will thrive.
On June 23, 2026, the VFPA issued its Project and Environmental Review Permit for the Second Narrows Dredging Works. On the same day, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) issued its Fisheries Act Authorization (FAA) for the Second Narrows Dredging Works, permitting the VFPA to destroy fish and fish habitat while dredging. TWN will be challenging both authorizations.
In the judicial review filed on July 8, TWN argues that:
- Canada failed to discharge the duty to consult TWN before the VFPA issued the Permit, thereby breaching the honour of the Crown; and
- The VFPA’s decision to issue the permit was based on an unreasonable determination that the Second Narrows Dredging Works are not likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects under the Impact Assessment Act.
Currently, due to navigation restrictions near the Second Narrows bridge related to the depth of the Inlet, Aframax-class oil tankers can only fill up to 80% capacity. The 2019 approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project took that navigation restriction into account, and risk assessments were based on tankers at 80% capacity. The dredging will allow tankers to fill to 100% of their capacity at Trans Mountain’s Westridge Marine Terminal, yet no regulatory authority has considered how this changes risks and impacts to the Inlet and TWN rights. The dredge will also facilitate further expansion of the Trans Mountain Project and other industrial activities in Eastern Burrard Inlet, TWN asserted.
(Photo from VFPA)