Canada’s Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, highlighted the project as being an "important opportunity to grow our economy.”
She added: "As the prime minister has emphasised, the only way to get resources to market in the 21st century is if it is done sustainably and responsibly. Today's announcement reflects this commitment," she added.
However, amid extensive protests, the government approved the project on approximately 190 conditions – most of these to protect the environment. Canadian environmental groups worry that pollution will worsen global warming and will negatively impact nature, DW reported.
Similarly, Canada's First Nations indigenous people are concerned about potential sullying of their fishing waters, where salmon is a vital resource.
This is the first deal by the year-old Liberal government that goes against environmentalists in the name of benefiting the country’s economic interests, according to the Borneo Post.
TransCanada will build the pipeline, which will cross 900 km of British Columbia between Hudson's Hope and and at Lelu Island. The pipeline deal comes after Petronas acquired Canada's Progress Energy Resources gas producer.
