COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKAGE January 17, 2018

Transcription

1 Page COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKAGE January 17, 2018 Regional Council Calendar 3 COUNCIL CALENDAR January 22, January 28, 2018 Invitations to Mayor and Council 4 INVITATION TO ATTEND THE HIGH ON ICE FESTIVAL Re: Mayor's Ice Carving Challenge February 10, 2018 Miscellaneous Correspondence NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE TRUST Northern Development and Government of Canada commit $480,000 to First Nations Government Internship program for Northern BC January 17, 2018 View News Articles 5-7 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER First Nations file civil claims in attempt to stop Site C construction Article by Alaska Highway News staff, January 16, 2018 Documents Available Upon Request BC FOREST PROFESSIONAL January-February 2018 TRUCK LOGGER BC Winter 2018 Page 1 of 7

2 Page Page 2 of 7

3 Regional Council Calendar January 22, January 28, 2018 January 2018 SuMo TuWe Th Fr Sa February 2018 SuMo TuWe Th Fr Sa Monday, January 22 9:00am Councillor Dolan Away- 6:30pm - 9:30pm Regional Council Meeting (Bear Pit) Tuesday, January 23 Councillor Dolan Away- Wednesday, January 24 Councillor Dolan Away- Thursday, January 25 8:00am Councillor Dolan Away- 9:00am - 10:30am FNSS Global Citizens Forum (Fort Nelson Senior Secondary - MPA) Friday, January 26 1:30pm - 4:00pm Workshop for Cannabis Related Businesses - SAVE THE DATE (Fort St John) Saturday, January 27 8:30am Sunday, January 28 Cheryl Toews 1 1/17/2018 8:52 AM Page 3 of 7

4 Page 4 of 7

5 BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER Law & Politics First Nations file civil claims in attempt to stop Site C construction West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations file two separate claims in B.C. Supreme Court By Alaska Highway News staff Jan. 16, 2018, 11:17 a.m. Crews carry out Site C construction work on the north bank of the Peace River in 2017 Matt Preprost Two Treaty 8 First Nations have launched legal action in a bid to stop construction of the Site C dam. The West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations filed two separate civil claims in B.C. Supreme Court Monday, naming the province, BC Hydro, and Canada's attorney general as defendants. The two First Nations are seeking an injunction to halt work and further project approvals by both levels of government. The two nations claim Site C, the third dam being built on the Peace River in B.C., violates their constitutionally protected rights under Treaty 8. Site C, along with the cumulative impacts of Page 5 of 7

6 the Bennett and Peace Canyon dams upstream, would continue to displace First Nations hunters, trappers, and fishers, and interfere with their way of life by destroying habitat home to plants and animals the two nations rely on for spiritual, medicinal, and food purposes, according to the claim. "The cumulative impact of the Bennett, Peace Canyon, and Site C Dams is to turn the Peace River into a series of reservoirs, destroying the unique cultural and ecological character of the Peace, severing the physical, practical, cultural and spiritual connection the (nations) have with the Peace, and infringing (their) Treaty Rights," the claims state. Site C has been under construction since July 2015 after being approved by the BC Liberals. NDP Premier John Horgan announced his government would continue construction of the controversial $10.7-billion dam in December, after inheriting the project in a change of government last summer and launching a four-month economic review. In a news release, the First Nations claim BC Hydro has refused their requests to suspend work or defer signing major contracts ahead of an injunction hearing expected in the spring. The First Nations say they hope to get previously undisclosed or redacted documents to get a better picture of the state of the project, which has ballooned in cost from $6.6 billion when it was revived in The dam's price tag jumped by $2.4 billion, from $8.3 billion to $10.7 billion, when Horgan made his announcement, they note. We need more information about the project s schedule, budget, and ongoing geotechnical challenges to accurately estimate the implications of suspending construction until our Treaty infringement claims are decided at trial, West Moberly Chief Roland Willson said in a statement. We are fighting for the land and the preservation of the Dunne-za way of life. But we are also fighting for values all British Columbians share, like transparency and economic prudence." The claims have not yet been tested in court. A BC Hydro spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. When completed, Site C will be able to produce 5,100 gigawatts of energy per year and add 1,100 megawatts of capacity to the provincial grid. It will also flood some 100-plus kilometres of the Peace River valley and its tributaries, including farmland and First Nations cultural sites. The two nations warned Horgan last fall that his approval would lead to a civil claim. Courts have previously dismissed lawsuits by the First Nations and landowners seeking a judicial review of Site C. However, the courts have yet to rule whether the dam infringes Treaty 8, with Page 6 of 7

7 one provincial Supreme Court justice noting that matter would need to be decided in a civil trial in a September 2015 ruling against the First Nations. In its December announcement, the province said BC Hydro and the transportation ministry will work with Treaty 8 nations to redesign the Highway 29 realignment at Bear Flat over Cache Creek to "reduce the effects on potential burial sites and sacred places." It also said it would advance reconciliation with local First Nations, and establish a Treaty 8 advisory committee that will give input to a Peace River Legacy Fund. "I respect and honour the commitment of people who oppose Site C, and share their determination to move B.C. to a clean, renewable energy future and to embrace the principles of reconciliation with Indigenous communities," Horgan said at the time. "We know this decision is not what some First Nations wanted. Their voices were heard and their perspectives were an important part of the deliberations on a very challenging decision." There were 1,681 workers employed on Site C in November 2017, BC Hydro's latest available figures for the project. Page 7 of 7