Nisga’a Sign LNG Deal with Province
Victoria, B.C. – The Province has signed an agreement with the Nisga’a Nation that will see the Nisga’a receive about $6 million dollars from the Province through the various stages of the TransCanada pipeline project.
The pipeline would traverse about 97 kilometers of Nisga’s lands to reach the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG export facility on Lelu Island near Prince Rupert.
Under the agreement, the Nisga’a will receive $1 million for signing the agreement, $2.5 million when pipeline construction stars, and another $2.5 million when the gas starts to flow in that line.
The Nisga’a will also have a share of the $10 million a year in on going benefits that will be made available to all first Nations along TransCanada’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT)pipeline.
The agreement also includes a provision for the introduction of the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act. The act would remove 63.5 hectares from Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park for PRGT development and take
effect once all regulatory approvals are received and the Nisga’a Final Agreement is amended. The route selected avoids specific cultural sites and has the support of the Nisga’a Lisims Government.
The President of the Nisga’a nation, Mitchell Stevens says the agreement is another step towards sustainable prosperity for the Nisga’a ” The agreement further establishes the Nisga’a as active partners in B.C.’s LNG industry and serves notice to investors that we are interested in collaborative opportunities that are based on positive relationships.”
TransCanada’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Pipeline project is proposed to run approximately 900 kilometres from Hudson’s Hope to Lelu Island.
Comments
Really?? million before any deal on even building a plant, just have to sign and money in the pocket good deal.
Cross 97km and receive 6 million plus futures, pretty sweet deal.
TransCanada is a privately owned corporation whose stock is traded on the TSX. Why are the people of B.C. paying this money to the First Nations (and for an unspecified number of years thereafter) when it is TransCanada which will be making all the profits?
It is likely that this deal will not fly because there are other FNs that will take this project to court, based on the lack of consultation with the Gitxsan, Gitanyow, Wet’suwet’en and the Lake Babine Nations. The reason being that the Skeena River estuary by Lelu Island is a vital rearing ground for salmon smolts, when fully grown will spawn within the waters of the FNs that rely on the Skeena river fishery, which is a right our FNs have within this country in the constitution…as for where’s the cut for us non-FNs? Sorry to tell you the province is getting that within a gas tax charged to Petronas, which is why this agreement is between a treaty nation, the Nisga’a, and the province. The province does not have any authority within Nisga’a treaty lands.
TransCanada PL company will not see all the profits of this PL. They are only the transporter of the gas in their pipeline. The gas is partly owned by Petronas, out of Malaysia, to which the province will see a tax benefit because they own the gas as well.
sElling portion of their land for six mil ??? Just like when they signed the Treaty, gave away most of their land. Then SHARE ten mil with all the other Bands afterwards ??? That’s not much.. They should have negotiated a better deal. Almost looks like they needmoney now and accepted what was offered.
It sounds like the deal is not for the sale of land but only for an easement.
Bah!! Environment this and environment that…Oh wait 6 million? ok> But just this once k?
I miss the old format. When can we expect comments on the sidebar stories??
Trout: “I miss the old format. When can we expect comments on the sidebar stories??”
The sidebar stories are fed from the Canadian Press, so… never.
So let me get this straight. They sign this deal for 10 million of our tax dollars, so a company can build a pipeline, that we gain next to nothing from ? Why does this corporate welfare continue and we just keep getting taxed ?
“Sorry to tell you the province is getting that within a gas tax charged to Petronas,…”
So the millions come out of the gas tax the government charges. In other words the province gets to keep less of the collected gas taxes. Just like I thought – it costs us money rather than the company paying the millions.
billposer… this is no easement.. Read below
The act would remove 63.5 hectares from Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park for PRGT development and take
effect once all regulatory approvals are received and the Nisga’a Final Agreement is amended.
Nice to see the Nisga wanting to partner up with development. Some other first nations are basically anti development and anti jobs. Especially since many of the people in the reserves live off welfare and do not give a damm about potential jobs. Some do want the jobs and are willing to work and those I admire.
This is similar to other mineral deals. The government shares its royalty revenue with first nations. Since FN’s have established title, the province can’t keep all the revenue for themselves. The companies pay one royalty to the province. How this is broken down is between the province and FN’s. The province can’t expect to keep all the royalties, then have FN’s charge another royalty. Not many developments are economic with every layer of government and FN’s expecting more from the proponents.
“Not many developments are economic with every layer of government and FN’s expecting more from the proponents.” .. then they should stop patting themselves on the back and boasting about how they consult and work with FN to make these deals work. In reality they deal with the gov’t of the day who consults and has agreements with the FN in question. Corporations just try to make themselves look like they give a crap about people rights, all the while they just have to make sure they appease the gov’t.
So the memorial lava beds are sacred, unless the price is right.
And I too wonder why the taxpayer funds this, why not Trans Canada?
metalman.
PrinceGeorge, Metalman, I think the reason that the Province has to do it stems from our Constitution. Our Constitution has a line in it saying that “the Royal Proclamation is upheld”. The Royal Proclamation stems from 1763 when King George III wanted the native support in keeping Canada English and not French. The natives loved the French because they made money from the French fur traders.
Basically the Royal Proclamation said that all native land was to be held in trust by the Crown and that only the Crown could negotiate with the natives to cede land. I don’t think that Trans Canada can negotiate directly with the natives for land rights, be it an easement or purchase… Having said that, I’m not a constitutional lawyer.
Google the Royal Proclamation for more information on this.
The really sad part is that the Royal Proclamation is a major part of our history. It shapes Canadian relations with natives and whether we own the crown land or we don’t own it (we don’t own it–the natives do). Somehow I got through school without ever hearing any mention of the Royal Proclamation. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m alone…
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2014 @ 10:05 PM by metalman
So the memorial lava beds are sacred, unless the price is right.
And I too wonder why the taxpayer funds this, why not Trans Canada?
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A private corporation would be absolutely foolish to enter into negotiations of this magnitude with First Nations. They would have no recourse if minds were changed and could potentially lose millions. The government on the other hand, has the endless taxpayers pockets to pull money from.
Stillsmokin: Removal from the park doesn’t necessarily make it a sale of land. That’s consistent with an easement if the park rules wouldn’t allow that use. I wonder if the actual agreement is available somewhere. Then we’d actually know.
“The government on the other hand, has the endless taxpayers pockets to pull money from.”
Government (our) money is also more reliable. A company can go broke, change hands, renegotiate gas taxes, pay no or little gas taxes due to unforeseen disasters or changing global markets.
Our (government) money is guaranteed money. If there isn’t enough we just borrow some more and add the amount to the debt.
Here is the actual agreement [pdf file]. It doesn’t explicitly use the term “easement”, but it talks about allowing the pipeline and nowhere mentions any transfer of land.
Here is the bill reducing the size of the park: PROTECTED AREAS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AMENDMENT ACT (NO. 2), 2014.
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