Dam violates Treaty 8 rights, say West Moberly, Prophet River First Nations.

17 Jan 2018 

January 18, 2018

Shortly before 4 p.m. on November 26, 2017, a U.S. barge carrying 3.5 million litres of diesel to Alaska broke free from its tugboat, the Jake Shearer, off the rocky shore of British Columbia’s Goose Island. Westerly winds were blowing at 45 knots while rain all but sandblasted the side of the barge, now anchored precariously in rough waters. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel deployed from Prince Rupert, approximately 300 kilometres away, wasn’t expected to reach the stranded barge until 7:30 p.m. at the earliest.

(Fort St. John, B.C., Treaty 8 Territory, Jan 16, 2018) – The West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations have filed notices of civil action alleging that the Site C hydroelectric project, together with the two previous dams on the Peace River, unjustifiably infringes their constitutional rights under Treaty 8, stating:  

Premier Horgan announced in December that his government would proceed with the Site C dam, increasing its budget by more than 2 billion dollars despite having opposed it before.

B.C. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says B.C. chiefs are ready to take on what he calls Battleground 2018.

“As the days start to grow longer, there remains a smouldering, undiminished sense of determination, inspiration and hope in our hearts as we approach Battleground 2018,” wrote Phillip in a New Year’s Day statement issued Monday.

Related: Battle against Kinder Morgan far from over, say First Nations

The Assembly of First Nations has teamed up with Indigenous groups from Ecuador on the Canadian battleground for one of the largest environmental claims in history.