Native community resists BC premier’s China-backed coal-mine plans

The Globe & Mail reports this week, British Columbia premier Christy Clark announced during her China trade mission that she has secured $860 million in financing to build a coal mine in northeast BC near Hudson’s Hope which will eventually create 4,800 jobs.

What Clark didn’t mention is the hitch: The proposed Gething mine would be built in the West Moberly First Nation’s territory. The province knows full well that the native band – one of a small number with a treaty in BC – opposes the plan.

The Globe & Mail reports The West Moberly are not anti-development. There are five active coal mines in their territory. Including the Gething proposal, there are 28 applications for development on their lands – including mines, pipelines and power projects. Some they’ll support, others they will not.

MINING.com reported this week the developer of the Gething coking coal, CKD Mines, says the property has been explored since 1971. The mine is expected to produce 2 million tonnes per annum for a minelife of 40+ years. Construction of the mine would take two years. CKD Mines will receive $1.36 billion in total through two separate investments coming from Chinese companies.

MINING.com reported in September in unveiling the province’s job-creation strategy, Clark said the government plans to capitalize on high demand for minerals, especially in Asia, by opening up eight new mines in the next four years and expanding nine more by 2015. The Province reported Clark saying the mining activity should generate annual revenues of $1.6 billion, create 8,000 mining jobs and sustain 5,000 existing jobs.