Junior miner Fortune Minerals (TSE:FT) was served a “24 hour eviction notice” on Thursday by Tahltan Central Council who are opposed to an open pit coal mine in northwestern British Columbia.
The TCC claims the area is an important hunting ground and near ancestral burial grounds. The protesters have set up a camp near the proposed mine.
Video of the protest was uploaded to YouTube.
After the eviction notice expires, the protesters are considering a blockade.
“We didn’t fight Shell for ten years so a coal company could come along and build an open pit mine in the heart of the Sacred Headwaters,” said Mary Dennis, a Tahltan elder in a news release from Skeena Watershed Coalition.
“We’ve stopped bigger industrial projects before and we’ll do it again with help from our supporters and allies.”
The Arctos Anthracite project is located adjacent to the Spatsizi wilderness area. The project is a joint venture between Fortune (80%) and Posco Canada Ltd. (20%), a subsidiary of Korea’s POSCO that is one of the world’s largest steel producers. The project is just 330 km northeast of the Pacific Ocean Port of Prince Rupert.
The project is in the Environmental Assessment (“EA”) and permitting process.
In its community relations section of its website, the company says it has retained DPRA Canada Inc., Indigeunity Consulting Group Inc., and Fleishman- Hillard “. . . for their respective expertise in aboriginal engagement and government communication, respectively. Fortune has also hired community relations coordinators for the portion of the project in the Gitxsan and Tahltan territories.”
The TCC is the Tahltan Nation governing body representing the collective aboriginal title and rights interests of Tahltan peoples.
9 Comments
doubletrackback
Un “fortune” nately for their shareholders, this pre-mature junior outfit failed to have a chat with RD Shell to ascertain their chances of developing a mine in the Sacred Headwaters.
Trotsky
More white capitalists trying to screw over aboriginal people, really nice eh? Start the blockade today and never give in,
Oliver
Aboriginal people of Canada are just as involved in business enterprise as anyone. Aboriginal communities have construction, transportation, supply, consulting, and maintenance firms and so on. Aboriginal peoples enjoy the benefits of modern society as much as everyone else. Aboriginal people use electricity, travel in cars, use modern telecommunications, shop in the malls, fly, use public roads, use hospitals, on and on. Aboriginal people have all the same rights and protections as all others in the Canada and in fact have additional benefits that others do not have. Aboriginal people enjoy the benefits of all the products that come from resource extraction as much as anyone else. Aboriginal people are given training and priority for employment in resource extraction industries near their communities.
Apple
I advocate that all mining and mineral exploration and development be halted until Aboriginal land claims are settled across the entire country. 100% settled. This includes all sand and gravel and quarry operations.
The same for all oil and gas exploration and extraction including the Oil sands and fracking. The land claims must be settled to satisfaction of the First Nations and other stakeholders. Then new mining laws based on the results of the settlements. Then industry can decide if it wants to invest.
Not a penny in exploration and development and not a penny in taxes from mining.
Balance-and-fairness
Which unemployment queue are some of the respondents joining??!!
Les K.
Wow! All these comments are just…idiotic! We live in 21-st century (just a reminder)…..
If we meet all demands of First Nations, we can pack and go back to nomadic
times! The live must go on… So must mining!
I am pro mining but with complete environmental impact studies. No to all wild
protests by the Aboriginal People of Canada!
By the way… Apple, please join unemployment queue and asap
jay
People need to come first in this World, not large corporations. It’s a no brainer from the heart of humanity. These arguments are off point from the heart of the matter here; which need to be based from consideration of people and from the heart.
jay
People need to come first in this world of ours, not large corporations. It’s a no brainer from the heart of humanity, that these people, as any other inhabitants that value and utilize their land sustainably; have a right to preserve their land and not be pushed around/// Arguments against this reality are off point and off axis; of simple reasoning, And strangely enough, amiss of the heart of the matter; which needs above all; to be based from the consideration of everyday people. How could someone even begin to say that economy is more important than the basic well being and wellness of the people. It’s a really lopsided mind state, and it brings out the clarity of what is missing and lacking in our educational upbringing, and here for in our value system. It doesn’t take an A to realize this; nor a college degree. Although… Some people continue to be press the point of oh well… it’s just how it goes or that production is king? and are somehow blinded from the fuller reality in it’s simplest form.. In this day of age where a fuller intelligence is needed most above all things. If one’s against the well being of the people well he or she needs to step back and get out of his or her grind to perceive the larger picture or else well what we have is a pawn ship that has forgotten to use it’s heart and altruism to conquer…
jay
People need to come first in this world of ours, not large corporations. It’s a no brainer from the heart of humanity, that these people, as any other inhabitants that value and utilize their land sustainably; have a right to preserve their land and not be pushed around/// Arguments against this reality are off point and off axis; of simple reasoning, And strangely enough, amiss of the heart of the matter; which needs above all; to be based from the consideration of everyday people. How could someone even begin to say that economy is more important than the basic well being and wellness of the people. It’s a really lopsided mind state, and it brings out the clarity of what is missing and lacking in our educational upbringing, and here for in our value system. It doesn’t take an A to realize this; nor a college degree. Although… Some people continue to press the point of; oh well… it’s just how it goes, or that production is king? And are somehow blinded from the fuller reality (in it’s simplest form..) In this day of age where a broader intelligence is needed, above all things. If one’s against the well being of the people? well he or she needs to step back and get out of his or her grind to perceive the larger picture, or else well, what we have is a pawn ship that has forgotten to use it’s heart and altruism to conquer…