Three Innu communities in Quebec are demanding an immediate pause on the Kino Aski liquefied natural gas project, rejecting the developers’ claims that First Nations lead the multi-billion-dollar export initiative proposed for the North Shore.
The pushback comes from the Innu communities of Essipit, Mashteuiatsh, and Pessamit, whose leaders released a joint public statement challenging the narrative pushed by Marinvest Energy. According to ici.radio-canada.ca, the project consists of building a pipeline connecting eastern Ontario, where the current network reaches, to the Port of Baie-Comeau, to then supply Europe with liquefied natural gas using methane carriers. The publication notes that Kino Aski is a company created by the Atikamekw Nation and Marinvest, a Norwegian enterprise that launched the initiative, with the objective of producing up to 15 million tonnes of LNG per year with production taking place in Baie-Comeau’s Baie des Anglais. The original venture aims to ship Alberta natural gas through a roughly 1,000-kilometer pipeline across the boreal forest to floating liquefaction plants in the Saint Lawrence waters.
With a projected price tag of 30 billion dollars, the industrial megaproject is billed by its backers as the largest in Quebec history. Yet the communities directly in its path say they have been kept in the dark.
Indigenous Leaders Dispute Who Represents the Project
At the heart of the dispute is who speaks for Indigenous nations along the proposed route. Marinvest Energy announced in August that the venture had been handed over to a First Nations-led entity, leading to the Kino Aski name change. Organizers highlighted the involvement of the Atikamekw Nation, which holds a major stake in the company.
However, the leadership in Essipit, Mashteuiatsh, and Pessamit argue that they have neither consented to the project nor authorized Kino Aski LNG to represent them or imply their backing. As ici.radio-canada.ca points out, for the moment only the Atikamekw nation has given its support in Quebec, while the three dissenting communities reproach Kino Aski LNG for speaking in their name and letting it be understood that they support this initiative even though they have not given their mandate. Their ancestral territories would bear the brunt of the construction, yet local leaders report they lack the details needed to evaluate the endeavor.
Opposition extends beyond the Innu communities.
Demands for Independent Studies and a Halt
Insisting that any industrial work on ancestral lands requires free, prior, and informed consent, the three Innu nations want federal authorities, investors, and developers to hit the brakes. They are calling for rigorous, independent environmental, social, and economic studies, demanding independent studies on the project’s issues and spinoffs as noted by ici.radio-canada.ca, which adds that Essipit, Mashteuiatsh, and Pessamit reiterate that their ancestral rights are recognized and confirmed by the Canadian Constitution.
These communities are no strangers to high-stakes resource battles. In 2021, as ici.radio-canada.ca records, they also opposed the GNL Quebec project, for which the gas would have been exported from Saguenay. Past federal documents released under access-to-information laws show that Natural Resources Canada warned proponents in May 2025 that previous ventures faced Indigenous resistance, advising caution to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Investment Summit Promotes Project Despite Missing Reviews
Despite the lack of public presentations, municipal engagement, or formal environmental reviews, Kino Aski was showcased at an investment summit organized by Mark Carney to facilitate major industrial developments. Private backers hope to produce up to 15 million tonnes of low-emission LNG annually for European markets.
Behind the scenes, federal engagement has raised alarms among Indigenous leaders. Records show that Investir au Canada noted as early as April 2025 that Marinvest Energy sought federal assistance to fund Indigenous participation.
Now, the dissenting communities are pointing a finger directly at Ottawa. As ici.radio-canada.ca details, they claim that through Bill C-5 and proposed Bill C-49, Ottawa wants to bypass or restrict Indigenous rights, noting that these legislative measures propose to accelerate the development of major projects and reform the environmental assessment process across Nitassinan.