First Nation wants say on proposed hazardous waste site near Fraser River – The Globe and Mail
Feb. 05 2015
The province should not approve a proposed hazardous waste site near the Fraser River in Chilliwack without taking aboriginal rights into account, says a group representing eight Sto:lo communities in the Fraser Valley.
And any consideration of the project should reflect last year’s Supreme Court of Canada decision on aboriginal title, the Sto:lo Tribal Council says in a recent letter to B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak.
“It is our view that the recent landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia has fundamentally altered our relationship with your office,” says the letter, which is dated Jan. 12 and signed by two Sto:lo Tribal Council leaders. “In the face of our very good claim to title, the Province should seek our consent before approving the waste project.”
The letter reflects widespread concerns about the riverside site for a facility that would recycle materials such as transformer oil, mercury-containing fluorescent tubes and electrical equipment, says Sto:lo Tribal Council president Doug Kelly, one of the signatories to the letter.
