B.C. reaches $65M funding deal with First Nation after Supreme Court ruling
The B.C. government has signed an agreement with a First Nation to provide $65 million in funding to support land restoration and cultural programs, four months after a court ruled the province had breached the nation's rights.
Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin said the initial agreement will provide $35 million for Blueberry River First Nations to undertake land restoration activities and create jobs for band members and business opportunities for companies operating in the region.
The other $30 million will go toward helping the First Nation protect its cultural way of life and to expand its land management resources, as well as restoring the health of wildlife through management programs.
“Our goal is to work quickly to get certainty on a path, both long-term and immediate, so everybody is made whole,” Rankin told a news conference Thursday.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled in June that the provincial government had breached the nation's rights under Treaty 8, signed more than 120 years ago, because it allowed development such as forestry and natural gas extraction without the nation's approval.
The agreement will also see the restart of 195 forestry and oil projects that had been placed on hold due to the court's ruling.
But 20 other projects, which had been approved, will not proceed without negotiation with the First Nation because they related to development in areas of cultural importance.
Rankin said the government wants a better relationship with Indigenous Peoples and agreements like the one signed with the Blueberry River First Nations will help achieve that goal.
“We take the judge's findings seriously, we want to work better, we want to have a better process that involves First Nations in a more meaningful way,” he said. “We want to make sure (First Nations) know and have some involvement as they're entitled to.”
Chief Marvin Yahey of Blueberry River First Nations said during the joint news conference that he's pleased the province took the court ruling seriously and has committed to working with the band.
He called the funding “a historic event” that would help his members while also supporting businesses in the region.
“It's a first step that will provide resources in areas where it was lacking,” he said. “It's a huge step.”
The court found the province failed its treaty promise to maintain the nation's rights to hunt, fish and trap without interference.
The ruling said that while not one single project had a devastating effect on the community, the cumulative impact of a series of projects limited the nation's ability to maintain its treaty rights.
Two hydroelectric dams operate in the nation's territory, and the controversial Site C dam project is under construction on the Peace River.
The trial heard that over 84 per cent of Blueberry River territory is within 500 metres of an industrial disturbance.
The ruling gave the province six months to work with the nation to improve land management and the permitting process to respect the nation's rights under the treaty.
A 2016 report published by the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecotrust Canada found that more than 110,000 linear kilometres of roads, pipelines and transmission and seismic lines had been cut across less than 40,000 square kilometres of Blueberry River territory.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.