Tla’amin Nation is working to reclaim its Tis’kwat site for the benefit of all people in the region, according to one of the community’s leaders.
Tla’amin executive councillor Dillon Johnson indicated that the nation’s efforts to acquire the Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill site are to ensure local ownership of this important and culturally sensitive tract of real estate.
“It's our former settlement site, and we want to see that returned to Tla’amin, but not in a way that it's not going to be a productive economic site anymore,” said Johnson. “We do see a bright economic future on that site that'll generate an economy for everybody in the region.”
Johnson said Tla’amin wants to see any development at the former mill that is environmentally sensitive and a lot more inclusive of Tla’amin’s interests.
“We’ve never had a big role to play in Tis’kwat since it was taken as Lot 450,” said Johnson. “We want to see us leading, or at the very least, participating, in a very meaningful way as to what happens next.”
Johnson said the nation does not want to see a repeat of what happened in Port Alice, where the former pulp mill was sold, the new owner came in “and just stripped the site,” declared bankruptcy, and then left the site for locals and the province to clean up.
“We can't have that with Tis’kwat,” said Johnson. “That would be devastating to the region and to ourselves.
“I don't think what we've proposed here is controversial or surprising and it is consistent with everything we've said so far.”
Tla’amin has issued a draft joint statement that the nation is hoping qathet Regional District and City of Powell River will endorse. The statement says, in part, that the three governments are unified in their opposition to the sale of the property to any party that does not have the support of Tla’amin, given the nation’s constitutionally protected treaty rights and unresolved claim at Tis’kwat.
The statement further says that the three governments are steadfast in their resolve to protect the interest of local residents by ensuring an irresponsible or unsophisticated party cannot assume control of the site.
The regional district and city have asked for meetings with Tla’amin representatives to further understand the intention of the joint statement.
The nation had a meeting with BC premier David Eby about Tis’kwat on July 27, and while having the joint statement in hand would have been beneficial, and being able to present the document would have been powerful to have the unified voice, Johnson said he understands that the city and regional district would want more information.
“We left that meeting yesterday with the premier very encouraged about the province’s commitment to seeing a responsible plan going forward for Tis’kwat,” said Johnson.
Tla’amin has a specific claim for the Tis’kwat property and has also reached out to the city and regional district for a letter of support for federal grant money to carry out due diligence for the site.
“We want a good understanding of the environmental condition, the status of certain regulatory processes, the status of certain agreements and crown tenures – that type of information,” said Johnson. “It is a super complicated and complex site. We have a strong team of people who are advising us. We have applied for funding and received positive indication that Tla’amin will be resourced to continue our due diligence work. We have already completed some work with the help of some federal and provincial grants.”
Johnson said there is fear in some quarters that Tla’amin is working to take the property out of the tax base.
“As we work to acquire this site, we don't want to do it blindly and just say, hand it over,” said Johnson. “We have to actually be very, very deliberate about that because we don't want to be any worse off by acquiring the site. We want to build it into something that is going to last and provide enduring economic benefit to the region.”
Johnson said there is a worry that some entity or corporation is going to buy the site, make some big promises and then declare bankruptcy.
“We see value in local ownership, because we're the ones who have to live with it,” said Johnson. “Ultimately, when people understand what we're trying to do, I think there'll be a lot more excitement.
“I think people will be really excited about local ownership, because it just means more benefits stay local. It's much more preferable than having a multinational company that comes in and makes money and sends it off overseas, or to shareholders.”
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