Certainty will bolster investment
The Taku River Tlinget First Nation’s (TRTFN) territory covers the northwest part of the constituency of Stikine and includes the community of Atlin.
Plans to reopen the Tulsequah Chief mine and build a lengthy access road through salmon spawning habitat for access became a flashpoint 10 years ago. The issue of ‘duty to consult’ was the essence of a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in 2004 that decided in favour of the TRTFN.
And so, after taking the Taku River Tlinget to court and losing, the governmen got on side with the decision and was pulled into negotiations. Last week, seven years later, the TRTFN signed a government-to-government agreement with the province that maps out where resource development can occur on their traditional territory. It is the result of compromises on the part of the Taku River Tlinget, hard work by Integrated Land Management Bureau staff (many from Smithers), and a willingness to participate by Atlin community members and the provincial mining sector. The agreement addresses the issue of certainty for both industry and for the TRTFN and other locals.
In fact, uncertainty regarding aboriginal rights and title is cited as a major investment impediment in B.C. by global mining interests. So when this government finds at least one way to tackle the issue, one would expect them to learn from past mistakes and try to duplicate positive approaches.
Unfortunately, that isn’t happening. The Premier and her ministers said this will be the last of the resource land use plans in the province. This ignores that many plans completed in the past dealt mainly with forestry and were weak on mineral development.
And Premier Clark blew an opportunity on the ‘duty to consult’ imperative when she publicly pressed Stephen Harper to endorse the Prosperity mine project, despite the fact it was rejected in the federal environmental assessment process, in large part due to First Nations’ impacts.
We need successes like the TRTFN land use agreement to be applied across Stikine and across the province. It is worth it for all of us in B.C., from those living in remote, rural communities to those in Victoria and Vancouver.