A freighter on the North Coast of B.C. that ran aground, seriously damaging its bow, has raised concerns in the local native community about the potential dangers of supertanker traffic along the hazardous coast.

The Haisla First Nation chief councillor Dolores Pollard said the ship had a navigation equipment failure in Douglas Channel after leaving nearby Kitimat on Sept. 25.

The ship ran off course and hit the rocks, but no oil or fuel was spilled in the incident, the Globe and Mail reported.

Pollard said she is thankful that no one was hurt and no spill occurred — but the incident confirms the First Nation's fears about plans to ship crude oil out of the port.

The Enbridge Northern Gateway Project proposes to move Alberta crude oil to Kitimat by pipeline, then ship the oil by tanker along the B.C. coast, something Pollard said needs further study to ensure the safety of Haisla land and lifestyles.

A spokesman for the project, which is currently under government review, told the Globe and Mail that tankers used to transport crude oil would be tethered to high-powered tugboats to prevent similar accidents.

With files from The Canadian Press