Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Government Protects Foreign Corporation While Bankrupting Canadian Citizens in Central British Columbia Land Claims

 


Carolyn Bennett (Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations) and Scott Fraser (BC Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation)

 

In the Tsilqhot'in Land Claims negotiations in central British Columbia, the Federal and Provincial governments are walking on pretty thin ice. With their determination to appear to be “solving” the issue of First Nations title, Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Affairs Carolyn Bennett, and BC Minister of Indigenous Relations Scott Fraser seem willing to simultaneously sacrifice the rights of non-Indigenous people and businesses. 

In the six years since the Tsilqhot'in Title Lands were created overnight in 2014, trapping non-Indigenous businesses under a new legal regime, many have been driven to the brink of bankruptcy by government’s purposeful inaction.

“We are not sure what the future holds now”, says Sabina Harris of Harris Ranch.

 “The government has arbitrarily cancelled our valid grazing permit and offered no secure alternative to allow us to continue. They don't seem interested in addressing our problems.” 

Once thriving tourism businesses, ranches, and guiding operations have been denied permits to operate, threatening their existence, but no attempt has been made to find a solution.

According to Brian McCutcheon, owner of an award-winning lodge now engulfed by the Title Lands, it has handcuffed his business. “Even if we could get operating licenses there is no long-term security”, says McCutcheon.

“The Tsilhqot'in First Nation clearly does not want us on their new lands, and we’ve been hung out to dry by the indifference of our own government, making them complicit in the collapse of multiple businesses. We invested millions of dollars faithfully following the laws of the land but government has made no effort whatsoever to live up to their responsibilities.” 

When a similar situation arose with a grant of land title to the Wet'suwet'en First Nation, which trapped the mineral leases of China Minerals Mining Corporation within its boundaries, the land claim was amended to exclude the lease area and allow the Chinese company to continue to operate. 

It was legally determined that the company's right to fairness had been violated by government's failure to consult with them prior to the land transfer. 

The situation in the Chilcotin is no different. Are the rights of Canadian citizens and businesses less valuable than those of a foreign corporation?

The federal and provincial governments have negotiated multiple agreements with the Tsilqhot'in without any consultation with the non-Indigenous stakeholders who stand to be affected. These agreements are a precursor to a massive land title grant that will affect thousands of Canadian citizens, but government continues to ignore their legitimate worries and concerns. 

According to Petrus Rykes of Canadians For Fairness and Transparency, “Minister Bennett and Minister Fraser are conducting backroom negotiations with the Tsilqhot'in First Nation to cede millions more square kilometers of land in central BC, trapping thousands more Canadians, their properties and their businesses in the same situation.”

“What happens then? They say they are consulting with stakeholders, but that is completely false.” 

“It is clear that nobody is representing the interests of the region's stakeholders in these discussions” said Rykes.

“Our stakeholder group insists upon three things: A seat at the table to directly represent our interests, fair compensation for all businesses and properties adversely impacted, and our rights as Canadian citizens protected. It is a reasonable request.” 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC’s Forestry Decline Is a Policy Failure, Not a Market Reality -- Forestry Critic Calls for Accountability and Urgent Policy Reset

Conservative Party of BC Forestry Critic, and Kamloops - North Thompson MLA,  Ward Stamer As the Truck Loggers Association convention begins today, BC Conservative Forestry Critic Ward Stamer says British Columbia’s forestry crisis is the result of government mismanagement, not market forces, and that an urgent policy reset is needed to restore certainty, sustainability, and accountability. “For generations, forestry supported families and communities across BC,” said Stamer.  “Today, mills are closing, contractors are parking equipment, and families are being forced to leave home, not because the resource is gone, but because policy has failed.” Government data shows timber shipment values dropped by more than half a billion dollars in the past year, with harvest levels falling by roughly 50 per cent in just four years. At the same time, prolonged permitting timelines, unreliable fibre access, outdated forest inventories, and rising costs have made long-term planning impossib...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Eby government signs another land-use agreement, as they say one thing and do another, during DRIPA chaos

While promising to fix DRIPA, the Eby government continues to quietly sign binding land-use agreements that fundamentally alter how Crown land is governed in British Columbia. On January 15, 2026, the government signed four ministerial orders advancing the Gwa’ni Land Use Planning Project with the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, amending the Vancouver Island Land Use Plan and changing how more than 166,000 hectares of Crown land can be accessed, developed, and managed. “This is Land Act reform by stealth,” said Critic for Indigenous Relations Scott McInnis. “British Columbians already rejected these changes once. In 2024, public backlash forced the NDP to pull its Land Act amendments. Instead of listening, this government has gone underground, signing individual deals behind closed doors, just like we’ve already seen in places such as Squamish, Teẑtan Biny, and across Northwest BC.” “The Premier admits DRIPA ( the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act) is creating ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more