Latest news with #RogerWilliam
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Tŝilhqot'in Nation signs agreement with Taseko, province to end mine dispute
The Tŝilhqot'in National Government says a years-long conflict over the proposed New Prosperity gold and copper mine at Teztan Biny — also known as Fish Lake — has been resolved following an agreement with the provincial government and a Vancouver-based mining company that requires the nation's consent for mining activity in the area. The nation said Thursday that its agreement with Taseko Mines Ltd. ensures that "no mineral exploration or mine development can occur on the New Prosperity mineral tenures without the free, prior informed consent of the Tŝilhqot'in Nation." The New Prosperity mineral tenures had been the subject of numerous legal actions by the nation since the company began proposing the project to the federal and provincial governments in 1995. Roger William of Xeni Gwet'in First Nation, one of the six communities that form the Tŝilhqot'in Nation, said the area is of great importance to the Tŝilhqot'in people. "Teztan Biny is a sacred site, a place that our people, our Tŝilhqot'in people live. Our people still use that area. Some of our people call it a one-stop shop where we hunt, we fish, wild horses, medicines, berries – everything that we use in the Tŝilhqot'in is in that little ... area." The nation said it has also entered an agreement with the province that requires the nation's consent for any mine in the Teẑtan Area that is a reviewable project under the Environmental Assessment Act in order to proceed. The province said in a statement that it will make a one-time payment of $75 million to Taseko Mines as part of the agreement and all litigation related to the New Prosperity Project has been terminated. The province said Taseko has agreed to not be the operator of future mineral exploration and development activity at the New Prosperity Project, and that it can divest its interest from the site at any time, including to other mining companies. Any future mineral exploration and development by other operators will require Tŝilhqot'in consent, the nation said. TNG Vice-Chief Francis Lacesse said the agreement aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and could serve as a model to rest of the country. "This has been a long time coming," Lacesse said.
Toronto Star
24-04-2025
- Health
- Toronto Star
B.C. First Nation at UN calling for government help in battling toxic drug crisis
NEW YORK - Members of the Tsilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia are at the United Nations headquarters in New York City calling for the provincial and Canadian governments to fund recovery beds and other supports in the battle against the toxic drug crisis. Chief Roger William with the Tsilhqot'in National Government says they're asking for help to address the crisis in their own way, through culturally centred programming, improving access to treatment and recovery services, and expanding supportive housing.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. First Nation at UN calling for government help in battling toxic drug crisis
NEW YORK – Members of the Tsilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia are at the United Nations headquarters in New York City calling for the provincial and Canadian governments to fund recovery beds and other supports in the battle against the toxic drug crisis. Chief Roger William with the Tsilhqot'in National Government says they're asking for help to address the crisis in their own way, through culturally centred programming, improving access to treatment and recovery services, and expanding supportive housing. William says the basic needs of their members must be met in order to stop their 'people from falling into using drugs.' The news conference comes one year after the Tsilhqot'in Nation declared a local state of emergency after a spike in deaths from toxic drug poisoning in its six member nations in central B.C. Chief Francis Laceese says the crisis is a 'continuation' of threats to his people's survival in the form of residential schools and the smallpox epidemic that devastated Indigenous communities in B.C. in the early 1860s. The Tsilhqot'in National Government said last April when it declared the emergency that toxic drugs, combined with the historical and ongoing harms of colonialism, were contributing to higher rates of overdose deaths among Indigenous Peoples. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. The statement called on 'all ministries and agencies to work together to end this loss of lives' and pointed to a lack of treatment facilities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
