St’at’imc First Nations Need Our Support and Action NOW!
NANCY GREENE'S MEGA RESORT PLANS HAUNT CAYOOSH WILDERNESS ONCE AGAIN
Melvin Creek Valley and the adjoining Lost Valley, which are the last two untouched watersheds in the Cayoosh mountain range, north of Vancouver, BC, Canada form the green heart of the Cayoosh and provide critical low and mid-elevation forested wildlife habitat for a wide range of species. This area is very popular and well used by hikers, climbers and ski tourers. The alpine and sub-alpine area are some of the most accessible within weekend range BC’s lower mainland. Melvin Creek (home to the winter spirit in traditional St'at'imc culture) and the rest of the Cayoosh Mountains are a crucial part of the St'at'imc Nation's ancestral territory.
Things are starting to heat up again in Melvin Creek. The St'at'imc Nation has learned that NGR Resort Consultants Inc (a consulting company that is owned by Nancy Greene and her partner Al Raine) has applied to the provincial government for an extension of an Environmental Assessment Act certificate given to them in 2000 as the original permit is expiring on August 14. The original certificate gave Nancy Greene and Al Raine the rights to develop a $500-million all-season ski and recreation resort, with an upper and lower village, a 12 km access road to the upper village, 14 lifts, a conference centre, skiing, hiking, horseback riding, and as many as 12,000 daily visitors with accommodation for 14,000 (2,000 for staff). Back in those days the government's own Environment Ministry initially advised against any development in the Cayoosh and Melvin Creek watersheds, citing high wildlife values, especially grizzly bear and mountain goat habitat.
As a result of Greene and Raine's
application for an extension, the St’at’imc and the Union of BC
Indian Chiefs have reaffirmed their strong opposition to the development
of the Melvin Creek watershed. According to the St'at'imc Chiefs Council
it wants to make it very clear to the Province of BC and the developer,
Al Raine, that the St'at'imc will interpret any extension for the environmental
certificate as a challenge.
The St’at’imc people have set
up a camp, almost halfway between Lillooet and Pemberton. They have
held the line up there for five years now; they had a recent successful
day of action and shut down Highway 99 for a few hours. They also made
the headlines of the corporate media with a demo at the Vancouver Stock
Exchange. The First Nations people need all the support they can get
to put pressure on the BC government to cancel the approval they have
given Greeene and Raine.
Chief Garry John of Shalath says, “What followed from there was taking advantage of any opportunity to spread the word about this plan to destroy a mountain wilderness with an ugly ski resort development. Unfortunately the nearby town of Lillooet seems bent on pushing and pursuing this project. To say polarization has occurred would be an understatement.”
John also says, “If they refuse then we will begin a series of provincial, national and international campaigns. We have had some pretty consistent and ardent support from as far away as Japan, Germany, Australia, Chile and many other parts of the world. We will be making our friends aware that once again our mountain is under attack and we need support and pressure on Canada and BC to make them accountable and answerable for what they do in aboriginal peoples’ territories.”
See their website for St’at’imc development plans. www.statimc.net
MELVIN CREEK NEEDS OUR HELP NOW - PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO THE PREMIER
It is really important that we show the decision-makers that many people care about the future of Melvin Creek and the rest of the Cayoosh Mountain Range - our letters to the Premier of BC are crucial for keeping Melvin Creek free from Nancy Greene's mega development proposal.
You may want to consider the following points:
- The project would involve major negative impact on wildlife and habitat - both locally in the Melvin Creek watershed and within the broader region due to fragmentation and impairment of wildlife habitat.
- The project would compromise important low impact recreational opportunities close to Vancouver such as wildlife watching, hiking and backcountry touring.
- This is unceded aboriginal territory - the St'at'imc never gave up their title or rights to this land. The project has never had the St'at'imc's support and it doesn't have it now.
- The project would damage the St'at'imc's way of life. If the land becomes damaged and scarcer it is harder to maintain the connection to the land as medicinal plants, game and berries disappear.
APRIL 2006 UPDATE ON MELVIN
CREEK, BC
The proposed development of a
multi-million dollar resort in the beautiful wilderness Valley of Melvin
Creek, in the St’at’mic nation north of Vancouver, is still a threat
to the culture and ecology of the region.
The winter Olympics are less than
four years away & our various levels of government do not want to
be embarrassed by revelations of mistreatment of 1st Nations
people and land. Greedy developers are cashing in on Olympic hype and
the prospect of many skiers visiting and spending big bucks in BC. The
BC government has given the NGR Company an extension of its certificate
for an unknown time period. Its original certificate required it to
confer with 1st Nations but the company never did. Chief Garry John
says, ‘Now a new court ruling requires that provincial governments
and 1st Nations must confer – and that a flat ‘NO’ from 1st Nations
is not acceptable’.
The St’at’mic are meeting
with a major environmental group to develop eco-tourism, camping and
trails in Melvin Creek and adjoining Lost Creek valleys. They are planning
to create a protected sanctuary in the region for the endangered, almost
extinct spotted owl that do live and nest in this untouched wilderness.
All the concerns expressed in
the main article are still valid and the St’at’mic are still worried
about the exploitation of their land. In May, 2006 the citizens
of St’at’mic and supporters will gather for the annual celebration
of their unity and collective strength – and send a message of solidarity
to their friends around the world, and to serve notice to governments
and would-be developers that no development will happen without their
approval and involvement.
Letters of support for the St’at’mic may be sent to: Chief Garry John, Box 67, Site 3, Shalath, BC. V0N 3C0, CANADA Letters expressing opposition to the development of massive ski resorts in this special place of untouched wilderness may be sent to: Premier Gordon Campbell, Legislative Buildings, Victoria, V8V 1X4, BC, CANADA Email: premier@gov.bc.ca Phone: (1-250) 387-1714 Fax: (1-250) 387-0087 and…
Hon. Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sports & Arts, Legislative Buildings, Victoria, V8V 1X4, BC, CANADA Phone (1-250) 952-4246 BC residents : please also write to your Provincial MLA, including the new NDP MLA's. Find your MLA and his/her #; call Enquiry BC at: (250) 387-6121 in Victoria; (604) 660-2421 in Vancouver, or 1-800-663-7867 elsewhere in BC
LINKS:
www.ubcic.bc.ca/News_Releases
St'at'imc website: www.statimc.net
Melvin Creek Defenders: sutikalh.resist.ca