Mount Currie band given federal and provincial money to begin negotiations
The Mount Currie band has been given $180,000 by the provincial government to begin negotiations with a developer of a small power project on Ure Creek.
The creek, which flows into Lillooet Lake, is the proposed site for a run-of-river hydroelectric project, much like those developed on Rutherford and Miller Creeks in the Pemberton area in recent years.
Although there is some excitement in the Mount Currie community about the economic potentials of the project, business development officer of the band Lyle Leo says there are still many cultural concerns at this initial stage.
"There are some sensitivities to fish habitat," he said.
"There’s other wildlife hunting issues, traditional uses around those, plus botanical, plus historic graveyard sites in the area.
"We want to find out this information so we can avoid impacting them and other cultural values that may not have been inventoried yet. So we want to start looking at those issues before we negotiate for the participation of the project."
The band may also be impacted by the new power lines needed to take power from the project on the south side of the Lillooet Lake to the north side of the lake where the B.C. Hydro transmission lines are located.
One option currently being discussed is to run the poles through Indian Reserve Three. Another option would be to construct a submarine line under the lake. Either way Leo said the cultural ramifications of both options must be studied.
"We would need to do further studies to determine the potential impact and cultural resources in those areas," he said.
That’s where the government money comes into play.
The $180,000 will go in part to conducting studies about the cultural impacts of the Ure Creek project. The money will also go into negotiating potential long term benefits in the form of an income stream, as well as employee and training opportunities for band members.
"We’re very pleased to see that (the provincial and federal governments) are committing to support the First Nations in participation with the economy and society at large," said Leo.
He added that the money gives the band a fair advantage to participate with the developer.
A Vancouver-based company called Cloudworks Energy has submitted the proposal to develop power on the Ure Creek.
Executive Vice President Nick Andrews says the government money allows the project to be done in a way that truly reflects the concerns of the Mount Currie community.
"The Ure Creek project has been in an area where there’s a great deal of sensitivity from the perspective of the Mount Currie band in the past," said Andrews, referring to native concerns about logging in the area in the early ’90s.
"This is really designed to make sure that from the First Nations’ perspective the project takes place and is planned in a way that means that those sensitivities are not impacted."
Some of the principal players in Cloudworks have a history in the community, which stretches back to the initial stages of the Miller Creek run-of-river project in Pemberton.
"We were involved in the early stages with the Miller and so it was at that point in time which we had the first opportunity to sit down with the Mount Currie band," said Andrews.
"We’ve assessed a number of the creeks in the Mount Currie traditional territory for potential run-of-river projects and basically we’ve come out with the Ure Creek as the one which makes the most sense. And that’s where we’re going to be focusing our energy."
Cloudworks Energy LP holds more than 10 "first-in-line" water license applications in B.C. for run-of-river projects.
In addition to the Ure Creek proposal, Cloudworks is looking to develop three more run-of-river projects at the north end of Harrison Lake. The Douglas First Nation has also received $150,000 from the same government fund to begin negotiations there.
Geoff Plant, minister responsible for treaty negotiations, and the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Robert D. Nault announced the funding last week.
"Through B.C.’s Economic Measures Fund, the province is contributing to partnerships between First Nations and businesses that create economic opportunity," said Plant.
"We made a New Era commitment to materially improve the quality of life for aboriginal people. Benefits to the community will include revenue generation, job creation, training and further expertise in the independent power production sector."
These four projects alone may generate enough power to supply the needs of approximately 40,000 homes annually.
There has been a rash of development proposals for run-of-river projects recently since BC Hydro put out the call for more green energy proposals. Many potential run-of-river projects are in the Coast Mountain range where the geography lends itself to this type of development of electricity.
They are non-consumptive, renewable and non-polluting producers of electricity.
Mount Currie Chief Allen Stager said: "We believe the Ure Creek project offers the Lil’wat Nation a significant opportunity to engage in meaningful business while respecting our aboriginal rights and protecting the environment."
Leo said the project, if it goes ahead, will still take about three years to complete before power is actually up and running.
