B.C. First Nations plan to appeal ruling to restore natural river flows 70 years later – CTV News
Feb. 4, 2022
VANCOUVER –
Two First Nations say they will appeal parts of a British Columbia Supreme Court ruling released last month that rejected their bid for an injunction to restore the natural flows of the Nechako River.
The river in central B.C. has been diverted for 70 years to generate hydroelectricity for mining giant Rio Tinto’s aluminum division and the province’s power grid.
The Saik’uz and Stellat’en First Nations announced Thursday they plan to bring a “limited appeal” of the Jan. 7 ruling, asking the higher court to order the restoration of flows for the Nechako that would re-establish “the natural functions of the river.”
They say in a joint statement that flows should support the river’s fish populations, including sockeye salmon and endangered Nechako white sturgeon.
