Federal Grip on Gas: Documents Reveal Intense Interest in Controversial Quebec LNG Project

A recent cache of internal government documents has peeled back the curtain on the federal government's intense and sustained interest in the highly controversial Énergie Saguenay liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Quebec. Despite fierce opposition from environmental groups, Indigenous communities, and local residents, officials within Natural Resources Canada and even the Prime Minister's Office were actively tracking, promoting, and discussing the project's prospects.

These hundreds of emails and internal communications, obtained by Greenpeace Canada and The Narwhal through freedom of information requests, reveal a persistent engagement with the GNL Québec initiative.

The project aimed to construct a massive liquefaction plant in Saguenay, Quebec, complete with a sprawling 780-kilometre pipeline designed to transport natural gas from Western Canada to the province's eastern shores for export. Proponents envisioned a grand scheme for global energy supply, but critics saw an ecological catastrophe in the making.

The documents paint a picture of federal departments, particularly Natural Resources Canada, working closely with GNL Québec, providing guidance, and preparing ministerial talking points that often underscored the project's purported economic advantages.

Officials appeared keen to position Canada as a reliable source of "cleaner" energy for international markets, even as the scientific community and grassroots movements raised alarm bells about increased greenhouse gas emissions and the irreversible damage to critical ecosystems, including the endangered beluga whale population in the Saguenay Fjord.

Perhaps most strikingly, the internal discourse sometimes seemed to downplay or sidestep the profound environmental concerns that ultimately sealed the project's fate.

Emails discussed strategies for achieving "social acceptability" and navigating public perception, rather than directly confronting the scientific critiques of its climate impact. One document even highlighted the "strategic objective" of using Canadian LNG to "displace coal and heavy fuel oil" abroad – a common industry argument often debated by environmental experts who point to the full lifecycle emissions of natural gas.

Ultimately, the Énergie Saguenay project met its demise not at the federal level, but through Quebec's rigorous environmental review process.

The province's Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) delivered a damning report, concluding that the project presented "major environmental impacts" that were not justifiable. This rejection was later affirmed by the provincial cabinet in 2021, marking a significant victory for environmental advocacy.

While the federal government initially maintained a stance of neutrality, awaiting Quebec's decision, these new documents demonstrate a much deeper, more active interest behind the scenes.

Following the project's rejection, federal ministers, including then-Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, reiterated the government's commitment to climate action, emphasizing that all projects must align with Canada's net-zero emissions targets. The revealed communications, however, offer a compelling look into the internal struggle and the complex interplay between economic aspirations and environmental stewardship that continues to define Canada's energy landscape.