A new Oil Sands development north of Fort McMurray - just upstream from Fort Chipewyan - has been delayed by 5 years, Teck Resources announced yesterday. The reasons given have to do with oil prices and changing markets, but the real victory, at least for now, is with the Peace-Athabasca Delta.

The proposed project is still slated for construction starting in 2019 and is intended to operate for 41 years, but the delay calls into question whether it will, in fact, become a reality.

The proximity of the proposed project to the fragile ecosystems in the Delta is an obvious cause for concern, so the delay in the project’s timeline will hopefully prevent further environmental degradation at the hands of industry.