The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation on B.C.’s central coast is condemning what it calls an “egregious” misuse of its protected cultural symbol, after an Alberta-based oil advocate launched a campaign to rename the cancelled Northern Gateway pipeline the Spirit Bear Pipeline.
In a statement released Dec. 2, the Nation’s elected chief and council, alongside Hereditary Chiefs, denounced the unapproved use of the official mark “Spirit Bear” by Robbie Picard Media and the affiliated petition group.
“The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation will not allow this symbol of their culture to be appropriated as the namesake for this project,” the statement read. “This mark is not only well established but consistently maintained and protected.”
Robbie Picard, a prominent energy advocate and founder of Oil Sands Strong, has launched an online petition proposing the new name. He describes the effort as a gesture of interprovincial unity and respect for the region’s symbolism.
“We are proud to launch the movement to rename the Northern Gateway Pipeline the Spirit Bear Pipeline,” Picard stated. “The spirit bear is a rare and symbolic creature, found only in British Columbia — a reminder of resilience, harmony, and the sacred balance of nature and industry.”
The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation lies on B.C.’s central coast, with its primary community and administrative centre in the village of Klemtu, on Swindle Island — roughly 500 km north of Vancouver — where about 320 of its 517 members reside.
The Nation, whose territory includes the Spirit Bear’s natural habitat, says Picard’s narrative misrepresents the true significance of the creature, also known as Mooksgm’ol in their language. The Nation says it registered the official mark “Spirit Bear” specifically to prevent unlicensed or commercial misuse of the name.
“The creator Raven wanted to remind the Kitasoo Xai’xais Peoples of a time when this land was covered in ice, so he decided to turn one in ten black bears white,” reads the Nation’s origin story. “The white bear reminds us to be thankful for the lush and bountiful land of today.”
The Nation first published notice of the “Spirit Bear” official mark in 2006 under Canada’s Trade-marks Act, a provision that gives public authorities exclusive rights over a name or symbol simply by declaring it publicly. The Kitasoo Band Council is listed as the mark holder in the Canadian Trademarks Database as of 2015.
The Kitasoo Xai’xais sought the protection to prevent commercial misuse of the culturally significant name, which they also use prominently through Spirit Bear Lodge and related branding. The Nation owns and operates the lodge, a well-known wilderness tourism operator recently named one of the world’s top 23 adventure experiences by National Geographic. According to the Nation, the Spirit Bear and the surrounding Great Bear Rainforest are central to its identity and long-standing conservation leadership. The Nation was also instrumental in securing the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, which protects the majority of remaining old-growth forest in the region.
The enforceability of the mark was tested in 2014, when the Nation objected to the use of “Spirit Bear” as a brand name by a vodka producer. Despite the Federal Court ultimately ruling the official mark unenforceable at that time due to insufficient evidence of public use when it was registered, the mark remains listed in the federal database, and the Nation continues to assert stewardship and control over its use.
“This is not the first time the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation has had to defend their official mark, but it may be the most egregious case to date,” the Nation’s statement read. “The irony of the group’s tone-deaf attempt at greenwashing a pipeline project with a beloved national icon is obvious.”
It’s not clear if Picard was aware of the “Spirit Bear” mark at the time of launching his campaign. Black Press Media has reached out to Picard for comment.
Though the Northern Gateway pipeline project was overturned in 2016 after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that Indigenous communities had not been properly consulted, discussions around reviving oil pipeline infrastructure have resurfaced in recent months.
A newly signed memorandum of understanding between the Alberta and federal governments has triggered renewed debate over the potential development of an oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. While the MOU does not name a specific project, it outlines a framework for cooperation on energy infrastructure, including a requirement that any new project be co-owned with First Nations. According to public details of the agreement, the proposed pipeline could carry up to one million barrels of oil per day — nearly double the capacity of the original Northern Gateway proposal.
In November, the Haisla Nation reiterated its longstanding opposition to any oil pipeline or export terminal in its territory during a meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. The Coastal First Nations–Great Bear Initiative has also voiced firm opposition to renewed proposals.
“As the Rights and Title Holders of the Central and North Coast and Haida Gwaii, we are here to remind the Alberta government, the federal government, and any potential private proponent that we will never allow oil tankers on our coast,” said Marilyn Slett, president of the initiative and elected chief of the Heiltsuk Nation. “This pipeline project will never happen.”
The original Northern Gateway proposal aimed to transport 525,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from Bruderheim, Alberta, to a new marine terminal in Kitimat, B.C. While that project was shelved following the court ruling, it had also faced strong local opposition. In 2014, the District of Kitimat held a plebiscite in which residents overwhelmingly voted against supporting the pipeline. Although the recent MOU has renewed speculation over the possibility of a coastal pipeline route, no formal project has been tabled.