By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, May 9, 2011
Two bands dismiss Hydro offer as 'beads' for land
Two B.C. first nations say they'll join forces to fight a major power line slated to run through their lands and are warning of blockades unless BC Hydro changes its negotiating stance.
The move by the Gitanyow and Lax Kw'alaams first nations comes after the $404-million Northwest Transmission power line received environmental approval from the federal government Friday, putting it one step closer to construction.
They vowed they will not accept Hydro's one-time cash offer, referring to it as "beads" in exchange for land.
The 344-kilometre line heading north from Terrace is expected to open up the province's northwest to mineral exploration and mining, creating new wealth in the region.
Its route passes through the territories of at least seven first nations. Four have yet to sign impact benefit agreements with Hydro.
About one-third of the line would go through territory belonging to the Gitanyow and Lax Kw'alaams, who say Hydro has been inflexible in negotiations about their participation and compensation.
"Based on what we have been offered and the frustration we are feeling, we have withdrawn from the process," Lax Kw'alaams councillor Bob Moraes said Sunday. "We have talked with the Gitanyow and they are prepared to join forces with us.
"We are prepared to show BC Hydro that we are now negotiating as a coalition and we are looking at forming a larger coalition with other bands that have not negotiated an agreement yet."
He said the first nation has told Hydro it will never accept "beads" from Hydro in exchange for rights to work on the land.
The 287-kilovolt line is to run from an existing substation at Skeena near Terrace north to a new substation at Bob Quinn Lake near the Iskut River.
BC Hydro describes the line as a major extension of the provincial power grid, supplying electricity to support industrial developments in the area, providing secure interconnection points for clean generation projects, and enabling communities now relying on diesel generation to connect to the grid.
It has won the support of various industry groups, including the mining sector, which describe it as the start of a new era for mineral exploration and development of the area.
Glen Williams, chief negotiator for the Gitanyow first nation, said in an interview Sunday that the first nation was close to signing until Hydro signed a deal with the neighbouring Nisga'a that includes lands disputed between the two first nations. The Nisga'a deal provides Hydro with a less-costly route, he said.
"They gave our neighbours, the Nisga'a over 60 kilometres of direct award [contracts for clearing and road-building] smack in the middle of Gitanyow territory," Williams said. "It's a huge problem for Gitanyow."
He accused Hydro of resurrecting a territorial dispute between the two first nations.
"People are quite angry and bitter that BC Hydro used the Gitanyow as a bargaining chip to get as preferred route through Nisga'a territory," he said. "They have created a serious problem.
"It could delay the project; it could jeopardize the whole project. It might even create some conflict on the ground," he said, referring to blockades.
One hundred and four kilometres of the line is over Gitanyow territory.
The first 28 kilometres of the line is over Lax Kw'alaams territory, said Moraes, who also warned that the Lax Kw'alaams could blockade any attempt to begin construction if no impact agreement is reached.
The issue for Lax Kw'alaams is different than for Gitanyow. While the council is concerned about infringement on aboriginal title and impacts on fish and wildlife, its primary desire is to take part in long-term economic opportunities after the transmission line is built.
Lax Kw'alaams has developed a strong business presence in the Northwest and the first nation is seeking economic opportunities that go beyond what administrator Wayne Drury termed Hydro's "cookie-cutter" approach to negotiations.
Hydro is offering a one-time cash settlement plus participation in existing training programs for contractors and workers for work during the construction phase.
Drury said it's basically the same deal for the whole line and doesn't address the different aspirations of each community.
"Resolution of the first nation issues will be critical to the project moving forward - and BC Hydro does not get it," he said.
Drury said Lax Kw'alaams businesses generate $100 million a year in revenues and noted their chief councillor is on a trade trip to China that began with meetings in Hong Kong with financial services giant Credit Suisse.
Lax Kw'alaams could easily partner with other companies to build the actual line, not just clear bush, he said. Yet Hydro is treating them as if they are not capable of participating in the economic benefits associated with the transmission line.
Nobody from BC Hydro was available for comment on Sunday.
ghamilton@vancouversun.com
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