TASEKO/Prosperity Mine: Protest continues . . . . .

TASEKO/Prosperity Mine: Protest continues . . . . .

Postby Oscar » Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:02 am

Trudeau's make-or-break moment could be over Teztan Biny

[ http://canadians.org/blog/trudeaus-make ... eztan-biny ]

March 4, 2017 - 6:39 am

(PHOTO: Meera Karunananthan at Teztan Biny, March 2010)

The Council of Canadians has long opposed the destruction of Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) in Tsilhqot’in Nation territory in northern British Columbia.

Taseko Mines Ltd. wants to build the open-pit gold and copper New Prosperity mine near the lake and has been seeking a judicial review of the Harper government's decision to reject the mine.

Michael Harris writes in iPolitics, "Taseko’s first application for the New Prosperity Mine - said to be the last major deposit of gold and copper in North America - included turning the pristine lake into a toxic dump site for the proposed mine’s tailings. Even without that outrageous component, the company’s proposal was turned down a second time in 2014 because the feds thought the mine would cause severe environmental damage, harm Tsilhqot’in culture and violate aboriginal rights. That same year - 2014 - the Supreme Court of Canada granted aboriginal title to more than 1,700 square kilometres of land in British Columbia to the Tsilhqot’in Nation."

The Council of Canadians and our Williams Lake chapter were intervenors in that Supreme Court of Canada challenge.

Harris highlights, "[BC Premier] Christy Clark and her ministers have been enthusiastic supporters of the New Prosperity Mine since they approved it in 2010. It remains to be seen if Clark’s government will [now] grant permits to Taseko to get their project into motion - and past the point of no return."

The permits being requested by Taseko from the provincial government are for "exploratory drilling". Harris explains, "Here is what exploratory drilling comes down to: 122 drill set holes, 76 kilometres of roads, 367 test pits, 20 kilometres of seismic lines and a 50-man work camp."

He then notes, "And this is where Ottawa comes in. The prime minister in particular. [Indigenous peoples] threatened way of life can only be preserved by a new deal with Indigenous Peoples, one that includes land settlements, access to capital and a true nation-to nation relationship. So far, Trudeau has been a good global marketer for Indigenous arts and crafts. But he hasn’t been much of a midwife in the birth of a new nation. [Instead] there have been multiple stab wounds. The Kinder-Morgan pipeline, the Site C hydro dam on the Peace River, the Petronas LNG terminal at Lelu Island at the mouth of the Skeena River - all opposed by most of the First Nations in British Columbia, all approved by the Trudeau government."

The Grassy Narrows First Nation could also be added to that list. While Trudeau had vowed in January to take action "once and for all", he now says it's Ontario's responsibility to clean up the mercury contamination in the English-Wabigoon River caused by a pulp and paper mill. Chief Simon Fobister says, "How can Trudeau say that he is reconciling with First Nations while passing the buck on cleaning up an ongoing toxic leak that has plagued our health and undermined our culture for fifty years?"

Yesterday, CBC reported, "Support for Trudeau's Liberals has sharply declined over the last three months, dropping to its lowest levels since the last federal election. The party has taken a hit in the polls in every region of the country. The negative trend coincided with a number of issues that may have sapped Liberal strength, including the government's pipeline decisions."

Harris concludes, "If [the New Prosperity mine] gets the green light from Ottawa, the sun will set for Justin Trudeau somewhere over the western shores of Fish Lake."

That view is also informed by Grand Chief Stewart Phillip who has stated, "The first time I saw the lake, I thought to myself, ‘This is the place where I might have to make the ultimate sacrifice.’ A sacred place. We must protect it."

The Council of Canadians has been working in solidarity to defend Teztan Biny since 2008. This past January we co-hosted a fundraising event with the Tsilhqot'in National Government, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, the Wilderness Committee, Amnesty International Vancouver and Friends of the Nemaiah Valley that raised $12,000 for a legal fight against the mine.

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Re: TASEKO: Trudeau's make-or-break moment could be over Te

Postby Oscar » Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:04 am

Trudeau's relationship with First Nations meets its make-or-break moment

[ https://ipolitics.ca/2017/03/02/trudeau ... ak-moment/ ]

Michael Harris March 2, 2017

EXCERPT: As Haida local Delfina Lawrence told Maclean’s, that’s because Trudeau “presents himself as an ally. We feel he’s stabbed us in the back.”

There have been multiple stab wounds. The Kinder-Morgan pipeline, the Site C hydro dam on the Peace River, the Petronas LNG terminal at Lelu Island at the mouth of the Skeena River — all opposed by most of the First Nations in British Columbia, all approved by the Trudeau government.

If this one gets the green light from Ottawa, the sun will set for Justin Trudeau somewhere over the western shores of Fish Lake.
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Re: TASEKO: Trudeau's make-or-break moment could be over Te

Postby Oscar » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:40 am

The Council stands with the Tsilhqot’in vs Taseko's 'exploratory' activities

[ https://canadians.org/blog/council-stan ... activities ]

June 27, 2018 - 5:51 pm

(PHOTO: The Council of Canadians took part in this February 2010 protest in Williams Lake against the proposed Prosperity Mine.)

The Council of Canadians stands with the Tsilhqot’in Nation in their opposition to Taseko's proposed activities on their territory.

The Georgia Straight reports that B.C. Supreme Court Justice Carla Forth has ruled that Taseko Mines can continue with exploration in an area under a provincial permit granted by the outgoing Christy Clark government. The Narwhal notes this would include "a 50-person work camp in an area considered a sacred site by the First Nation ... 122 exploratory drill holes, 367 excavated test pits and 20 kilometres of seismic lines".

The article highlight, "The federal government [has] contended [that] the activities are not truly exploratory, but instead, are detailed design work for the proposed New Prosperity Mine - a plan that has already been rejected. The mine, proposed for an area 125 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, cannot be built without federal approval."

In terms of background on this, the Georgia Straight explains, "In 2010 the federal government rejected the Prosperity Mine, citing its impact on fish and fish habitats, future grizzly-bear populations, and Aboriginal rights and title. In 2014, a federal review dismissed Taseko's revised application, ruling that the open-pit copper-gold project would still cause significant adverse environmental effects."

Provincially, that article adds, "The former B.C. Liberal government ... granted an environmental assessment certificate in 2010. ...In July 2016, Taseko obtained a permit from the B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines and a licence under the Forest Act to begin preparations for an exploration program. This was allowed even though the federal government had vetoed the mine. Then on July 17, 2017 - the day before John Horgan was sworn in as B.C. premier - the B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines 'issued an amendment' to the permit to authorize exploration and reclamation permits, according to Forth's ruling."

The Council of Canadians has stood with the Tsilhqot’in Nation in defence of its territory, notably Teztan Biny (Fish Lake), since October 2008.

Over the years we opposed the Schedule 2 provision in the Fisheries Act that put Teztan Biny at risk, have spoken against the proposed Prosperity and New Prosperity mines, helped facilitate meetings with the federal government on this issue, presented at the federal review panel hearings on it, posted online action alerts, expressed our solidarity in media statements, protested outside Taseko annual shareholder meetings, delivered petitions, helped with fundraising, and were interveners at the Tsilhqot’in Nation's historic Supreme Court challenge for Title on their territory.

The proposed mine is adjacent to the area recognized in the Title case.


Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
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Re: TASEKO/Prosperity Mine: Protest continues . . . . .

Postby Oscar » Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:06 am

MEDIA ADVISORY: MiningWatch Canada, Ecojustice Available to Comment on New Prosperity Mine Court Case

[ https://mailchi.mp/miningwatch/media-ad ... ae06c0567b ]

Source: Ecojustice – MiningWatch Canada

Teztan Biny (Fish Lake). Ramsey Hart photo.

(Vancouver) Ecojustice lawyers will be appearing in the Federal Court of Appeal today on behalf of MiningWatch Canada, to intervene in a case that will determine the future of Taseko’s proposed New Prosperity mine project.

Jamie Kneen, communications and outreach coordinator at MiningWatch Canada, and Olivia French, Ecojustice lawyer, are available for comment on the issue.

If built, the open-pit gold and copper mine would be located on the traditional territory of the Tŝilhqot'in Nation, in close proximity to Fish Lake, which is known as Teztan Biny in Tŝilhqot'in. A federal review panel previously found that the mine would have harmful effects on the lake, which is sacred to the Tŝilhqot'in, including impacts on fish and fish habitat, current use of lands and resources for traditional purpose, and on Tŝilhqot'in cultural heritage.

On behalf of MiningWatch Canada, Ecojustice is intervening to uphold the panel’s precautionary approach. The panel found that Taseko failed to provide enough information during the review about how it would address major environmental concerns, and that the mine project would likely have several significant environmental effects.

About
•Ecojustice, Canada’s largest environmental law charity, goes to court and uses the power of the law to defend nature, combat climate change, and fight for a healthy environment for all.
•MiningWatch Canada is committed to supporting communities affected by mining and changing public policy and mining practices to ensure the health of individuals, communities and ecosystems.

For media inquiries
•Olivia French, lawyer, Ecojustice. To arrange an interview, please contact Emily Chan at echan@ecojustice.ca, (604) 685-5618 ext. 277
•Jamie Kneen, Communications & Outreach Coordinator, MiningWatch Canada: jamie@miningwatch.ca, (613) 569-3439

Background: 2017 Blog Prosperity Mine – A Precautionary Tale: The Importance of Environmental Assessments
[ https://miningwatch.ca/blog/2017/1/31/p ... ssessments ]
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