for New Public Colliery Process
The Snuneymuxw First Nation is sharing some details of the public process that it proposes regarding the potential removal and rebuilding of the Colliery Dams. This is part of an on-going effort by Snuneymuxw to provide a constructive voice to this matter of widespread public discussion and to encourage all parties to get on a track that will advance collaboration and consensus rather than conflict.
Snuneymuxw's proposal for a "time-out" from the current course the City is on, and the adoption of a short, public, process to review all alternatives, is in response to the sudden shift of direction by the City in May when - with no notice to Snuneymuxw - the City made a decision to rebuild the dams. That decision is very problematic for a range of reasons - including that the City never engaged Snuneymuxw about it, has not completed the necessary studies or analysis of the impacts on Snuneymuxw’s Treaty protected fisheries of undertaking both removal and rebuilding, and has developed no detailed information of what rebuilding might look like or entail. Snuneymuxw expects that such a study of alternatives should also engage the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as the Province of British Columbia, both of whom have responsibilities and obligations that must be met.
"We acknowledge and appreciate that the Mayor, his Council, and staff are all making real efforts to try to manage a very difficult situation. The reality is, however, that the City's shift in direction changes this matter entirely. The City is now of the view that it wishes to have dams of some sort at this location. Snuneymuxw is prepared to explore this. However, it is necessary that they appropriately examine all alternatives for doing that, including in relation to Snuneymuxw's Treaty Rights," said Chief Douglas White III of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. "If the generally shared view that people have is that there should continue to be dams at that site - then the only responsible course for everyone is to take the time to examine all alternatives. Otherwise we are making a decision in the dark - without understanding the severe impacts and challenges that may arise from a remove and rebuild scenario," he added.
Snuneymuxw has proposed a public, transparent, and time-limited process to review all alternatives to have dams at that site, with a goal of building some general consensus about the best option going forward. In that process every alternative would be considered from a range of factors including: cost, risk to the public, potential impact on Snuneymuxw Fisheries and other interests, and potential impact to the environment. Other features of the process Snuneymuxw proposes include the following:
- The process would begin by mid-July and be completed by the end of September.
- During the process the current dams would remain in place, and risk from the existing dams would be mitigated through drawing down of water levels.
- The process would engage the public, the City of Nanaimo, the Province of British Columbia, DFO, Snuneymuxw, and stakeholder community groups.
- The process would be guided by a facilitator, who would make recommendations at the end of the process.
- An expert, independent technical team would work with the facilitator and provide input on each alternative.
- All aspects of the process would be public - meaning that all information provided to the facilitator would be made public.
Thank you Chief Doug White!
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