The Calgary-based company that wants to build a natural gas pipeline along the Alaska Highway is organizing talks with individual Yukon First Nations situated along the proposed pipeline's route.

TransCanada Corp. says it hopes to negotiate participation agreements with eight First Nations this summer. The company has started sending invitations to each First Nation.

"Several of those individual First Nations have responded already, indicating their interest," Tony Palmer, TransCanada's vice-president of Alaska development, told CBC News.

"We've had initial discussions with one First Nation already, and [for] the others, we're available at their convenience to have discussions as soon as they are ready."

If approved by regulators, TransCanada would build a 2,760-kilometre pipeline from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, through the Yukon and northeastern British Columbia to the B.C.-Alberta border, where it would connect with existing networks in Alberta.

The Yukon portion of the pipeline would extend for 832 kilometres, running through the communities of Beaver Creek, Whitehorse and Watson Lake.

No plans for direct negotiations with group

In last week's territorial budget, the Yukon government announced a $200,000 contribution to a group known as the Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition (AHAPC) to help First Nations prepare for negotiations.

Palmer said he will keep the coalition updated on his company's progress, but said TransCanada has no plans to negotiate directly with the group.

"No individual First Nation has delegated authority to the AHAPC to negotiate on their behalf," he said.

"Until that occurs, TransCanada must respect the wishes of the individual First Nations."

In addition to the First Nation talks, TransCanada says it will also be conducting some preliminary engineering and environmental evaluation work in Alaska and the Yukon this summer.

Last year, the Alaskan state government granted TransCanada the licence for the project.