A local group that opposed the proposed New Prosperity Gold-Copper Project has asked for an RCMP presence at an upcoming event and cancelled a march around the 100 Mile House marsh amid concerns brought on by an opposing rally, says organizer Barb Hooper.
Friends of Fish Lake have a fundraising dinner planned at the 100 Mile Curling Club, next to the South Cariboo Rec. Centre, at 5 p.m. on March 22.
A march to celebrate United Nations World Water Day with guests from Tsilhqot’in and Secwepemc First Nations, which was planned at 4 p.m., was cancelled when it was learned a rally by supporters of the mine project was scheduled at the same time near the same building.
“This has been such a contentious issue in town,” Hooper says of the billion-dollar project being proposed by Taseko Mines Ltd. in the British Columbia Interior, which was turned down by the federal government on environmental grounds for the second time in February.
“The RCMP will not be allowing anyone in [the curling rink] that we have not already sold tickets to.”
Jim Kolisnyk is organizing the opposing rally, which has connections to the Say Yes to New Prosperity group that has been lobbying for the approval of the mine project.
Kolisnyk says it’s a peaceful rally about jobs and the future and the intention wasn’t for Friends of Fish Lake to cancel its march.
“In the last eight to nine years, I’ve been seeing [the 100 Mile House area] going down and down,” Kolisnyk says.
“If we stop these big projects in our area, we’re not going to get out of this. People are going to be moving [away]. They already are.”
The plan is to take photographs of families at the rally and send them to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Kolisnyk adds.
Hooper says she’s worried about the racial and personal tone the debate has taken locally, as a number of inappropriate comments have been made on social media regarding First Nations people and the project’s detractors.
“We thought, by cancelling, we would avoid the unpleasantness of having a loud speaker blaring during our attempt to celebrate World Water Day at the marsh and also avoid any potential stress or nastiness the protesters may inflict upon our honoured Tsilhqot’in and Secwepemc guests.”
Kolisnyk was asked about a comment he made on the social-networking site Twitter in January 2013 that reads: “Fairness, dignity, self worth??? this is what the natives think they just won, but they just went back in society, unfair, worthless, bums (sic).”
The post was about Attawapiskat First Nation chief Theresa Spence, who went on a much-publicized hunger strike in December 2012, and “has nothing to do with this,” Kolisnyk explains.
“I don’t think they’re all bums.”
Kolisnyk adds he’s done a lot of work on reserves with First Nations communities.
“I have no problems with native people. I had a problem with that [woman].”
