Spanning more than 420 km (261 miles) from Tula, Hidalgo, and ends in Villa de Reyes, San Luis Potosí, the completed Villa de Reyes Pipeline will transport natural gas to power generation facilities in Central Mexico.

Before construction of TC Energy’s recently completed Mountaineer XPress (MXP) natural gas infrastructure project, the project team spent countless hours identifying environmentally sensitive areas and modifying the route, in addition to developing construction techniques to minimize environmental disturbances. But once construction began, the team was presented with a unique challenge that showed no creature is too small when it comes to protecting wildlife.

For Leanna Willier, the Indigenous Construction Participation Program (ICPP) isn’t just a program — it’s a journey shaped by lived experience, shared knowledge and deep respect for the land.

The Keystone XL project team has been conducting snake monitoring research in southern Alberta at multiple sites near the pathway of the pipeline. In Alberta, prairie rattlesnakes and other snake species are designated as species of special concern.

TransCanada went to great lengths to ensure that no harm was done to the hundreds of snakes they found during a recent pipeline maintenance project on the prairies of southeastern Alberta. While they may not be cuddly or “aww”-inspiring to many people, snakes play an important role in the ecosystem.