ecojustice
Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows.
– Ezekiel 47:9a
Seeking Creation’s Peace
“Environmental justice – implicitly proclaimed by the prophets – can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed."
- Pope Leo XIV
from his Message for the World Day of Prayer
for the Care of Creation 2025
A Special Ecosystem
The estuary has been of tremendous cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous communities since time immemorial. It is a precious ecosystem of global importance.
The estuary is the gateway to one of the largest salmon bearing rivers in the world
It supports the highest concentration of migratory birds in Canada (250,000 migrating and wintering waterfowl) and is a globally recognised stopover for shorebirds (1 million +).
It is largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of North America.
It is one of Canada’s most diverse and productive ecosystems
The estuary is where juvenile Chinook, chum, and pink salmon find food, sanctuary, and grow while acclimatising to salt water and gaining strength before heading into the ocean
The river sends a plume of water into the Salish Seas where endangered Southern Resident killer whales hunt for their main food source – adult Chinook salmon.
The estuary is an important rearing ground for over 300 species of invertebrates of over 80 species of fish and shellfish
The delta estuary produces some of the most fertile land for agriculture
A Vulnerable Time
Less than 30% of the Estuary remains intact and what does remain will be affected by the proposed industrial projects.
The Estuary is home to 102 species that are at risk for extinction.
The 2020 federal assessment of RBT2 concluded the expansion’s impact on wetland function, Chinook and chum salmon and southern resident killer whales “is high in magnitude, permanent and irreversible.”
The estuarine mudflats by Roberts Bank produce a nutrient rich biofilm that the entire global population of western sandpipers relies on for fuel as they migrate between Peru and Alaska. Humans have been unsuccessful at recreating this naturally occurring biofilm.
The ForitsBC Tilbury LNG facility expansion will increase tanker traffic in the south arm of the river, an increasingly busy shipping corridor. The West Coast Pipeline will bring large crude oil carriers, capable of carrying 2.2 million barrels of oil to the mouth of the river. Vessel traffic is known to negatively affect the Southern Resident killer whale population (73 remain)
The ForitsBC Tilbury LNG facility expansion would see the building of a marine jetty that would require heavy construction and dredging in the riverbed, which could disrupt habit and food webs that are critical for juvenile salmon.
Estuary Church is Ecojustice is Part of Estuary Church’s ethos. to helping repair our ruptured relationship with the more-than-human world.
Currently, the Fraser River Estuary is facing three potential major industrial projects that will affect this special and yet fragile ecosystem
WEST COAST OIL PIPELINE
ROBERTS BANK
TERMINAL 2
FORTIS BC
TILBURY LNG EXPANSIONSE
WEST COAST OIL PIPELINE
On August 1, the federal government announced its intent to designate the West Coast Oil Pipeline a “project of national interest” (PONI). The pipeline would bring up to 1 million barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta to Roberts Bank in the Fraser River Estuary where they would be loaded onto oil tankers for export. If designated a “project of national interest” the pipeline could be fast-tracked and allowed to bypass normal reviews, including environmental assessments, that would calculate the project’s risks.
What you can do
Submit your comments on the PONI designation. September 18, 2026 is the deadline to give public comments on the fast tracking of the west coast pipeline. This is the only time public and scientific input will be read before the decision is made.
Organizations such as Raincoat Conservation and Wilderness Committee have created a helpful resources with a sample letters and email addresses where you can send your comments.
Attend a local event. There will be several events taking place in Metro Vancouver leading up to September 18. Attend one. Learn more. Brings your friends.
ROBERTS BANK TERMINAL EXPANSION
The Canadian government approved the mega-port expansion in early 2023 despite a legal challenge levied by a group of environmental organizations that claimed Canada breached the Species At Risk Act when green-lighting the project. The Robert’s Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) expansion will create a new artificial island converting a section of estuary the size of 330 football fields into an artificial island. On August 29, 2026, the federal government announced its intent to fast-track the project in response to the trade war with the United States. The RBT2 project is still securing final environmental permits, but if it is granted national-interest status, the government could bypass them.
What you can do
Submit your comments on the PONI designation. October 1, 2026 is the deadline to give public comments on the fast tracking of RBT2. Email your comments to RBT2Comment-CommentaireT2RB@mpo-bgp.gc.ca
Learn More. There are many articles and even a beautiful documentary about RBT2 and it’s potential impact on the estuary.
FORTIS BC TILBURY LNG EXPANSION
In July 2026, an order signed by Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix exempted expansion Phase 1B which includes the addition of a marine jetty to the site, from an independent assessment. The Phase 2 expansion would allow the facility to produce 3.4 tonnes of LNG per year, create a LNG storage tank with the capacity of 57 Olympic swimming pools, and would include a ground flare to burn off excess methane gas that would release nitrogen dioxide into the air.
What you can do
Contact your local representatives. The public comment period for Phase 2 ended in July 2026. Tilbury LNG received over 600 comments against the expansion and only 11 in favour. Most tractors cited health an environmental concerns. The ministers expect to make a decision by the end of the year.
You can still talk to your local MLA or email them with your comments. STAND.earth has create a form to help you contact your local representatives.
Learn More.
