British Columbia’s government and the Tahltan Nation say the Eskay Creek mine in the province’s northwest has been approved to reopen.
The mine, about 250 kilometres north of Stewart, is owned by Skeena Gold & Silver.
Skeena confirmed Tuesday the project has received its environmental assessment certificate and federal approval to proceed.
It previously operated as an underground mine from 1994 to 2008, when it was closed due to high operating costs.
Skeena estimates the redeveloped open-pit mine will have a 13-year operating life, producing up to 3.6 million tonnes of ore per year.
The province said it will create about 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 770 jobs when operational.
The project went through a joint regulatory process with the province and the Tahltan Nation. It was the first agreement under a section of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) that allows for joint decision-making. The province said this meant the project required the free, prior and informed consent of the Tahltan Nation to proceed.
Kerry Carlick, president of the Tahltan Central Government, said his government was involved from the beginning stages of the project, marking a departure from how things have been done in the past.
“Today shows what can be done when we do things together in a really good way,” Carlick said Tuesday in Vancouver.
The Eskay Creek mine is one of 18 resource projects the province has identified for fast-tracking.
It has faced opposition from Alaskan tribes, who say the project directly impacts their traditional and historical territory.
The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission (SEITC), representing 14 tribes, launched a court challenge in November, arguing they should be consulted on the Eskay Creek project and other major mining developments in the region.
B.C. Deputy Premier Niki Sharma used the announcement to defend DRIPA against calls from the B.C. Conservatives to repeal the legislation.
She said misinformation about the Act is being spread for partisan reasons.
“I want to send a clear message to British Columbians that our framework for reconciliation is important,” Sharma said.
The B.C. Conservatives expressed support for the project, while continuing to call for DRIPA to be repealed. They say it is creating uncertainty for investment and natural resources in the province.
Interim Leader Trevor Halford said he disagrees that DRIPA is necessary to accelerate project approvals.
“If this government’s definition of ‘faster’ is delivering a decision six years after they passed their framework, then it’s clear why our natural resource sector is calling for change,” Halford said in a statement.
He also pushed back against Sharma’s suggestion that his party is spreading misinformation about DRIPA.
“The government drafted DRIPA with the intent of creating a DRIPA-first lens on every single regulation, law or development. That is exactly how the courts have been interpreting it. Only the full repeal of DRIPA will create certainty and clarity across all sectors in B.C.,” Halford said.
Premier David Eby has said his government will introduce amendments to DRIPA this spring, which he says will clarify the original intent of the legislation.
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