The first nations of West Moberly reached a partial agreement with BC Hydro and the provincial and federal governments in a case under which the massive hydroelectric dam Site C in the northeastern part of BC would destroy their territory and violate their rights.
A joint statement from the provincial and federal governments, released Monday afternoon, said the agreement included an impact-benefit agreement between BC Hydro and West Moberly First Nations plus two bargaining agreements.
He will also see 5,000 acres of land of the provincial crown transferred to the First Nation and an agreement to release West Moberly’s claims against the Site C project.
The agreement is an agreement with the federal government, but the claim that the existing dams on the Peace River violate West Moberly’s contractual rights will be stopped in order to try to negotiate an agreement.
Chief Roland Wilson sighed as he explained what a partial settlement meant to his people.
“We as a community have come to realize that they don’t stop,” he said. “[We’re] painfully realizing that we have lost the valley. “
The third in a series of four dams in the Peace River area of British Columbia, Site C was first proposed in the 1950s, halted twice in the 1980s and brought back to life by former BC Liberal Prime Minister Gordon Campbell in 2010. .
Approximately 5,500 hectares of land will be flooded, destroying agricultural land, wildlife habitats and territory occupied by Treaty 8 First Nations. Construction of Site C, about 14 kilometers southwest of Fort St. John, began in 2015.
The first nations of West Moberly filed a civil lawsuit against the government of British Columbia, BC Hydro and the Attorney General of Canada in 2018 and lost an offer for an injunction in the same year.
Controversial project
NDP leader John Horgan opposed Site C Dam before being elected prime minister, but eventually decided to move on after taking office – despite a report from the British Columbia Utilities Commission recommending alternatives. .
Last year, Horgan said the province would lose more than $ 10 billion in irreparable costs if it decided to reverse the course, as the estimated cost of building the dam rose to about $ 16 billion, almost double the $ 8.775 billion approved by the province in 2014. г.
Wilson said he was reluctant to settle out of court, but his community felt there were no options.
“It’s hard to discuss because the project should never have happened,” he said. “All nations in Treaty 8 have moved closer [former B.C.] The Liberal government with the concept of working together on an energy development project for the province, but their thinking was focused on object C. “
“They discharged the British Columbia Utility Commission from the process so they could not refuse it a third time.”
The head of the first nation at West Moberly, Roland Wilson, says he did not feel they had much choice, as it became clear that there was no stopping the project. (Andrew Kurjata / CBC)
I’m moving forward
In a statement to the CBC, BC Hydro President and CEO Chris O’Reilly acknowledged that the agreement was a “difficult decision” for the first nations of West Moberly.
“Building a respectful and meaningful relationship with the First Nations of West Moberly and all the first nations of Treaty 8 affected by Zone C is a priority for BC Hydro,” O’Reilly said. “These agreements provide a basis for us to continue together in a way that promotes mutually beneficial relations.”
British Columbia Energy Secretary Bruce Ralston also acknowledged West Moberly’s concerns in a press release, but said he believed the agreements recognized and mitigated the impact of the Site C project on first nations, while ensuring they benefited from the project.
Ralston’s office said West Moberly would receive a lump sum payment and current payments over the first 70 years of Site C’s operation, as well as 5,000 acres of Crown that have not yet been identified.
Chief Wilson says he is ready to turn the page, but says Peace River dams are ignoring Treaty provisions.
“This is a clear breach of contract and a clear breach of our contractual rights,” he said.
Wilson said the first Moberly nations would now focus their efforts on healing – with their people and the land that remained – and protecting their way of life in the face of continued development in the Treaty area.
“After long conversations and discussions, we decided that we would have to move on to the next chapter and move on.”
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