Nearly 20 years of negotiations finally came to a close Wednesday (Jan. 5) in Lillooet when the Province and B.C. Hydro initialed a compensation agreement with the St’át’imc for grievances regarding B.C. Hydro’s operations on St’át’imc land going back more than half a century.
The agreement provides a financial settlement believed to be in excess of $200 million as well as economic opportunities for the St’át’imc, and sets a framework for future dealings between the First Nation and B.C. Hydro in the future.
“We’ve been through a lot in the negotiations, so it feels really good for the St’át’imc people I represent and the Province and Hydro to come together and (reach) an agreement,” said Mike Leach, chair of the St’át’imc Chiefs Council, on Tuesday (Jan. 4).
Leach, B.C. Hydro deputy CEO and Executive Vice-President Bev Van Ruyven and Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Barry Penner initialed the agreement Wednesday, bringing it one step closer to becoming official.
The agreement must now be ratified by each of the 11 St’át’imc communities, each of which has a separate community agreement as part of the package that need to be ratified as well, Leach said. All St’át’imc members will be eligible to vote on the agreement in the spring.
Beyond the community agreements, the money will be paid to the St’át’imc in annual installments, making the settlement a long-term agreement as opposed to a “one-shot deal” that Leach said they were hoping to avoid in negotiations.
“Both parties wanted to do it that way because it allows us to set up a proper trust account so that the money can be used over generations,” said Leach. “It establishes a working relationship between the two parties, which I pushed for quite hard at the table that it be a living agreement as opposed to, ‘Here’s a settlement, you go away and we’ll go away.’ Things don’t work that way.
“(The trust) will be maintained in a manner that is transparent, accountable and all those important things to make sure that this agreement works not only for people today but into the future.”
Approximately 60 years ago, then-B.C. Electric began installing facilities on St’át’imc land without any consultation with or compensation for the First Nation. The parties entered negotiations for a settlement back in 1993, and Wednesday’s signing is the end result of that process. In addition, the agreement details more than just a financial settlement.
“The agreement basically lays out very clearly on both sides as to what Hydro can do within the territory with the facilities and servicing the general public as well as our own communities,” said Leach.
“It clarifies for (Hydro) the dos and don’ts, and the same with us for the dos and don’ts. The agreement starts to spell out a really good relationship.”
Also a part of the agreement is what Leach called a “training package”, which will allow for St’át’imc people to potentially gain employment opportunities via Hydro’s facilities on the land.
“It’s a good package for people with respect to that as well.”
Each community will host two information sessions regarding the agreement prior to the ratification vote. Leach said they are searching for all St’át’imc members living anywhere in the world to have their say on the matter.
“The agreement is for all the people, every single member of the St’át’imc registered in all the 11 communities,” he said. “It’s an agreement that has impacts on the people for a number of years and we want to ensure everyone has a chance to vote.”
Added Leach: “I believe after 20 years of negotiations that we put a lot into this and we did it with the people in mind… and we’re hoping and highly recommending that the communities support this agreement.”
For more information or to find out when info sessions will be held in each community, visit www.statimchydro.ca.
