NE residents blindsided again by BC government land use agreement

Written By Rob Shaw
Published

“This is once again about government making decisions behind closed doors without talking to 95 per cent of people in my region.”

–Mike Bernier

Chetwynd Mayor Allen Courtoreille didn’t find out the province had created a massive new park near his district in northeastern B.C., directly impacting the livelihood of his residents, until his phone started ringing last Friday afternoon.

Amongst the callers who left a message was a government official in the forestry ministry in Fort St. John who wanted to know if he had any questions about the press release the province had just issued announcing a new park.

“I’m going: What park?” said Courtoreille. “I didn’t phone her back, I went and looked it up and found out it was 2,000 square kilometres. And I was going holy moly. It was shocking.”

“I’m going: What park?… It was shocking.”

Allen Courtoreille

The abrupt announcement of the expansion of the Klinse-Za/Twin Sisters Park is the largest new provincial park in British Columbia in a decade. The goal, says the province, is to protect the population of endangered caribou, as well as sacred and spiritual sites for the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations.

Locals stunned by massive park expansion

Locals, including municipal and regional politicians, businesses and industry were blindsided by the move, which will curtail the rights of forestry, mining, hunting, fishing, and other operations in a vast territory west of Chetwynd — the equivalent of most of Southern Vancouver Island in size.

It was clear, though, that environmental groups were given early notice and kept in the loop by the NDP government. Environment Minister George Heyman’s announcement came with quotes from five environmental organizations, validating the expansion.

“The expansion of the Klinse-za/Twin Sisters protected area is an extraordinary milestone for caribou and communities,” Tim Burkhart, director of landscape protection with Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, said in a statement accompanying the province’s news release.

“Our sacred Klinse-za/Twin Sisters area will now be protected for our people forever.”

Rudy Paquette

“Our sacred Klinse-za/Twin Sisters area will now be protected for our people forever,” Saulteau First Nations Chief Rudy Paquette also said in the release.

“This is another step in the process by which we are proving that we can recover endangered species and protect the sacred lands of First Nations people, while also providing for healthy ecosystems and diverse economies.”

No plan to replace jobs lost

For Courtoreille, whose town survives off dwindling mill and mining jobs, the rollout was a slap in the face.

“It seemed like the NGOs probably knew more about it than the locals like myself and the Peace River Regional District,” he said.

“The NGOs probably knew more about it than the locals like myself and the Peace River Regional District.”

Allen Courtoreille

“The people that are being affected most, through the industry-based communities like Chetwynd, it’s going to be tough on us.

“It’s great for all the animals that we’re protecting, but we didn’t see anything in the form of any replacement of jobs.”

It is not the first time local governments have been frozen out of the process.

Local government frozen out of consultations again

The original draft agreement of the province’s caribou rescue plan — which created a 27-square kilometre park area — was negotiated in secret with local First Nations before being announced to immense local backlash in 2020.

Then BC NDP premier John Horgan travelled to the region to apologize to local officials. He appointed former Liberal cabinet minister Blair Lekstrom as his liaison to the community to suggest improvements. Lekstrom resigned months later in frustration, after the province refused to formalize a role for local governments in the plan.

Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier was left fuming at being blindsided yet again by an NDP government announcement, again negotiated in secret.

“(Horgan) stood in front of all the politicians at the regional district office and said we’ll do a better job, and yet here we are again,” he said.

“So either (current premier) David Eby doesn’t want to follow through on the commitment Horgan made, or once again they don’t really care about northern B.C.”

Closed-door decisions fuel deep divisions

Locals have no idea what to make of the agreement, and how it will impact their access to land, he said.

“It boils right down to very little information, where government is taking away rights to people in the backcountry again,” said Bernier.

“This is a huge area used by the forestry sector, proposed mine sites, guide outfitters, hunters, you name it. Once you turn it into a provincial park, now what does that mean?

“It’s all under the guise of caribou protection. And most people up here will say fine let’s protect the caribou, but let’s have a discussion about what’s the best way and the cost.”

“Most people will say fine let’s protect the caribou, but let’s have a discussion about what’s the best way.”

Mike Bernier

Bernier said local First Nations have also been once again put in a difficult position by the province, because of the way the situation was handled. In the past, this has led to deep divisions and racism in the community.

“I’m not trying to go after the First Nations for working on this partnership agreement,” he said. “This is once again about government making decisions behind closed doors without talking to 95 per cent of people in my region.”

Compensation for tenure holders, resource licensees

New industrial activity in the park had been restricted since 2019, and snowmobiling in the area of the original 27 square kilometre zone prior to the expansion had also been restricted.

The announcement came with $46 million in federal funding “towards compensation payments” with industries who will lose access to land tenures with the park designation, said the province.

“Compensation for impacts on mineral claims will be based on fair market value, and negotiations are carried out in accordance with the Mineral Tenure Act and the Mining Rights Compensation Regulation,” the Ministry of Environment said in a statement.

“Compensation for impacts on mineral claims will be based on fair market value.”

BC Ministry of Environment

“There are also two coal licences held by one licensee and compensation will be negotiated based on fair market value in accordance with the Coal Act. There is one forest tenure holder in the area.”

Four guide outfitters have licences within the new expanded park territory and there are nine trapline tenures. “These tenures can continue, subject to a park use permit being issued,” said the ministry.

There’s also an additional $10 million from Ottawa to compensation businesses and people impacted through a new South Peace Mackenzie Trust regional economic diversification organization.

The park overtakes part of a Canfor tree farm licence in the area, and the government said the company is eligible for compensation.

‘It’s beyond disappointing’

West Fraser, which runs a lumber mill in Chetwynd that relies on local timber, said the new park will reduce the allowable cut for the forest sector by 300,000 cubic metres, based upon a harvesting moratorium area first identified by the province and First Nations back in 2020.

“At the time the agreement was signed, the B.C. government sought to assure the forest industry that the net impact on the harvest would not exceed 300,000 m3,” said Jeff Mycock, West Fraser’s chief forester. 

“In reality, the potential overall impact of the agreement could reduce the fibre available in the area by approximately 650,000 m3 if additional proposed recovery Land Use Objectives are approved by the Province. As a result of reduced fiber supply in the region one sawmill closed in Chetwynd, the remaining mill there has been reduced to a single shift, and Taylor Pulp has closed its doors in Fort St. John.”

“The agreement could reduce the fibre available in the area by approximately 650,000 m3.”

Jeff Mycock

Mycock questioned how Premier David Eby’s new parliamentary secretary for fibre supply Andrew Mercier, will be able to achieve his goal when the province continues to implement policy measures that erode the harvesting landbase.

For Chetwynd’s mayor, the provincial silence is a failure.

“It’s beyond disappointing,” he said. “Because this happened already with the caribou (in 2020). We had our input after everything was signed and done, and it was put on the First Nations to defend themselves. And in that position the feds and province did not step up.

“It’s the same situation here again.”