Thoughts on the LNG Canada dispute
What is the Delgamuukw case? It was when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Hereditary Chiefs’ maintained title rights to the Wet’suwet’en land.
The Delgamuukw decision stemmed from a 1984 case launched by the leaders of the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en First Nations, who took the provincial government to court to establish jurisdiction over 58,000 square kilometres of land and water in northwest British Columbia.
In 1991, B.C.’s Supreme Court ruled that any rights the First Nations may have had over the land were legally extinguished when British Columbia became part of Canada in 1871.
The First Nations appealed and eventually the case made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which found Aboriginal title could not be extinguished, confirmed that oral testimony is a legitimate form of evidence, and stated that Aboriginal title rights include not only land, but the right to extract resources from the land.
The case has been widely cited as an influencing factor in subsequent court decisions, including the 2014 Tsilhqot’in decision, which further established the existence of Indigenous title to land in British Columbia not covered by treaties.
So according to Canadian law, the Hereditary Chiefs are right and the RCMP are breaking the law by intervening against them when the RCMP should be removing the construction equipment from the Wet’suwet’en land until this is settled! We should all be alarmed by this blatant disregard for legislated human rights by our civilized government.
And something else to get you fired up about. Below is a link to the breakdown of the costs and subsidies us B.C. and Federal taxpayers are on the hook for, for the next 25-30 years that were gift wrapped and that finally convinced LNG Canada to go ahead. It is well “worth” the read, in fact totaling approximately $6.6 billion. And also part of this sordid governmental mess, the primary reason for Site C dam is to supply power at subsidised rates for the LNG plants and for the Fracking and transporting infrastructure. Their rates per Kwh end up being less than production costs and so the reason all other B.C. customer rates will be steadily increased, is to help cover the construction costs and supply subsidies. Please read this and then think about choosing battles, worthwhile causes, and what you think your tax dollars should be spent on.
Paul Slade
Duncan
