Jobs and People

Settlement with First Nations tribe for Site C hydro project

Settlement with First Nations tribe for Site C hydro project

The Province of British Columbia, BC Hydro, the country of Canada and West Moberly First Nations have negotiated a settlement related to the 1.1 GW Site C hydro project under construction on the Peace River.

This is a partial settlement of West Moberly First Nations’ civil claim against BC Hydro, Canada and the province.

BC Hydro and the province will provide West Moberly First Nations with, among other benefits, financial benefits, contracting opportunities, the transfer of provincial Crown lands and jointly developed recommendations for land management measures over provincial Crown lands.

The settlement between the province, BC Hydro and West Moberly First Nations includes the following components:

  • An impact and benefits agreement between BC Hydro and West Moberly;
  • Two agreements between BC Hydro and West Moberly providing West Moberly contracting opportunities;
  • A tripartite land agreement between the province, BC Hydro and West Moberly; and
  • An agreement providing for the release of West Moberly’s claims against the Site C project.
  • The settlement between Canada and West Moberly First Nations includes an agreement settling the litigation claims against Canada related to the Site C project.

In the remainder of the civil claim, West Moberly First Nations has asserted that the existing hydroelectric dams on the Peace River and the cumulative impacts of resource development in their territory are an infringement of their Treaty rights. The parties have agreed to pause the remainder of the civil claim and place it in abeyance, and the province and West Moberly First Nations have agreed to enter into confidential government-to-government discussions to resolve the remaining matters.

“The Site C project has had major impacts on our community, and the flooding and operation of this dam will have effects that will be felt for generations to come,” said Chief Roland Willson, West Moberly First Nations. “The decision to settle this part of the court case was taken with a heavy heart and with serious considerations of the best interests of our community. Our focus now turns towards efforts to heal what remains of our land, to heal our people, and to protect our way of life in the face of all the resource development in Treaty No. 8 territory.”

West Moberly First Nations is a proud community of Dunne-za, Saulteau and Cree people, whose ancestors have lived in northeastern B.C. since time immemorial, the BC government said. West Moberly First Nations’ predecessor, the Hudson’s Hope Band of Indians, adhered to Treaty No. 8 in 1914. Treaty No. 8 was originally signed on June 21, 1899, by the Crown and First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area.

West Moberly is located at the west end of Moberly Lake, about 90 km southwest of Fort St. John, within the territory covered by Treaty No. 8, and has 366 members. West Moberly First Nations members have rights to hunt, fish, trap and carry out other traditional practices in accordance with their way of life under Treaty No. 8 in areas that include the Peace River and the location of the Site C project.

“I want to acknowledge the good faith, commitment and hard work of West Moberly First Nations in coming together with BC Hydro, the Government of Canada and the Province in the spirit of reconciliation to negotiate these important agreements,” said Bruce Ralston, British Columbia’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “I recognize West Moberly First Nations have concerns about the impacts of the Site C project, that the negotiations to reach a settlement have been challenging, and the decision to release their claims against the project was difficult. The agreements provide a way forward, built on respectful dialogue, that recognizes and helps to mitigate the impacts of the Site C project on West Moberly First Nations, while ensuring benefits from the project will flow to the West Moberly community.”

The Site C project is anticipated to begin operation in 2025.