Horgan Touches Down to Talk About Tsilqot’in
Prince George, B.C.- Provincial New Democrat leader, John Horgan stopped in Prince George today, the third such visit since becoming the leader of the Party in B.C.
He says his visit had two goals, the first was to meet with First Nations leaders to talk about the recent Tsilqot’in decision by the Supreme Court of Canada, and to talk with folks in sectors he says are being ignored now that the Province is focused on LNG development.
He met with Carrier-Sekani Tribal Chief Terry Teegee, “I am very encouraged by the approach the first Nations are taking with this (the Court ruling). It’s a new day for them and it’s a new day for British Columbia. I am encouraged the ‘certainty’ we’ve been hearing about on the land base, well we have it now. There’s absolute certainty that title (to the land) exists.” He says it remains to be seen how first Nations, the Crown and industry deal with the decision, but the rules of engagement are clearer now than they were prior to the decision and the outcomes will be positive as a result.”
What may not be so promising is what lies ahead for the Treaty Process. I think it’s a dark day for the Treaty process because the Tsilqot’n have demonstrated a 25 year court case was more efficient than having a dedicated Treaty Table that was tasked with getting certainty on the land base. So I think it’s a sad day for the Treaty process and for someone who championed it for 20 years, I am saddened by that.”
On the issue of resource sectors, Horgan says LNG is in the limelight, and other sectors are in the shadows “There’s always issues being ignored, forest companies for example, when they’re trying to find some new markets for their products, some value added opportunities the pellet plant here for example is still having difficulty getting access to fibre. These are issues I think government should be focusing on. If we’re going to develop an enhanced bio energy project, you need to be focusing some of their energy on bio energy projects,” He says unfortunately all the focus is on LNG “I think that tune is growing weary for people of the north as it is very much growing weary for the people in the south.”
Of course Horgan’s visits are also to connect with people and hopefully win some new NDP supporters. “I look at this as a three year project, and over the three years I have to grow the tent, but you don’t start putting up poles until you reinforce the webbing as it were, and I need to talk to the base of the NDP for sure. Those that have supported us through the good days and the bad days, need to have some confidence that we have a plan and moving forward we’re going to be successful in the next election. The broader community that doesn’t always look to the NDP, I’m hopeful will become more comfortable with me over time with seeing me more often. So the objective is not over the first three months, but over the next three years. If I don’t get new people to look at me and my party in a different way, then we’ll be in opposition again after the next election and that’s not my intention.”
Horgan will be making similar stops in communities south of Prince George, wrapping up in Vancouver.
Comments
Article: “He (Horgan) says it remains to be seen how first Nations, the Crown and industry deal with the decision, but the rules of engagement are clearer now than they were prior to the decision and the outcomes will be positive as a result.
Better check out the news, John. Looks like FN has already started to take steps to shut down the economy and perpetuate the uncertainty.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gitxsan-first-nation-evicting-rail-logging-fishing-interests-1.2703664?cmp=rss
Be Carefull what you wish:
On the Skeena “Get of our Land”
what next , all Lower Mainlanders .
I wonder how that will turn out.
I think people on Opinion 250 who are weighing in on issues should have to publish their name and be accountable in the court of public opinion for what they have to say.
What, so some nutcase can threaten me and my family because they don’t like my perspective? No thanks, Mary.
Your the nut case JB. So don’t worry.
Cheers
* You’re
Just trying to help you out, Retired.
The Liberal left are the most easy going tolerant people in the world as long as you agree with them.
Can you not read your own linked news story JB? The Gitxsan state; “They (government) have to abide by the laws. We’re prepared to negotiate.” They further state; The band has tried since then to negotiate with the Crown but hasn’t made any progress.
The key word here is negotiate, and the Gitxsan are asserting their rights and title to their land to get both the government and industry to the negotiation table by a certain date. The decades of uncertainty surrounding the land question are over, industry never did like uncertainty when it came to making huge investments to extract natural resources in BC because of the land question. The Supreme Court did everyone a favor, and has ended that uncertainty. The only way the Gitxsan would ever be forced to evict anyone from their traditional lands is if our BC government and industry carried on ignoring title holder rights of the people of the land they are conducting business on, as recognized and affirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada.
JB, your comment is ignorant, reckless, and fear mongering, it serves no purpose but to instill; an us against them mentality that only extreme right wing Conservative ideologues would support. First Nations who oppose Enbridge have been called terrorists and enemies of Canada by our extreme right wing Conservative government, so it must make you giddy with excitement, posting agitating comments that would promote an us verse them Oka style confrontation with our First Nations.
Now is the time for reasonable, level headed, thinking and comments on this subject! Comments that look for, and seek out, fair and just approaches to land and resource sharing with our First Nations. Other countries, like New Zealand and Australia, are seeking out meaningful partnerships with their Indigenous People, so why cant we?
The band has tried since then to negotiate with the Crown but hasn’t made any progress.
Perhaps it is the wrong Crown?
I think both the First Nations and Canada should get together to confront the originators of the present problems, the ones who did not find it necessary to sign agreements (treaties) when they took over the land and resources without asking for permission.
The originators are the colonial powers who benefitted for centuries from getting the vast resources extracted from this land for next to nothing in order to sustain their lavish royal and capitalistic life styles in Europe.
It may be too late now to ask them to step up and pay, but for these present generations of hard working Canadians it may seem to be grossly unfair to ask them to assume all the burdens which are arising now because of the colonial exploitations.
Just an opinion of course, but based on bare facts and documented history nevertheless.
I agree with JB when he says that revealing one’s real identity when posting may have unpleasant and even dangerous consequences. We are living in unusual times.
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