B.C. First Nation gets $147M from Ottawa for water rights taken 131 years ago

The federal government has reached a $147-million settlement with a First Nation in British Columbia over a dispute about water rights that dates back to the late 1800s.

Members of the Esk'etemc First Nation in the Cariboo region began hand digging an irrigation ditch to their reserve with picks and shovels in the 1890s, but the government forced them to stop just a kilometre from their goal to access water for their reserve.

In 1925, the water rights from the nearby Vert Lake were taken from the nation and granted to settlers of the area and the Esk'etemc didn't get water to its reserve #6.

The nation filed a claim against the federal government with the Specific Claims Tribunal more than 20 years ago over the loss of the value of the land and the crops band members could have grown there.

The nation says in a news release that it settled through negotiation for $147.6 million to compensate the Esk'etemc for the loss of water rights over 131 years.

Esk'etemc Kukpi7, or chief, Fred Robbins says while the settlement is substantial, the impacts of generations of Esk'etemc who lived in poverty because of the water loss is also substantial.

“This settlement will allow us to plan for a better future for our community, our children, our elders, and generations to come. It will give us a chance to heal and is a step toward reconciliation," Robbins says in a news release.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2024.