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.