Nadia Gonzaga's Blog

A large section of the Chilcotin region of B.C. has been declared as a new tribal park. The boundaries will include New Prosperity mine and Taseko Mines Ltd. at Fish Lake. According to the Tsilhqot’in, “the tribal park would cover about 3,120 square kilometres and protect cultural, heritage and ecological values.”

For New Prosperity mine, this park may present issues for their various upcoming projects. New Prosperity, for many years, has worked to develop a gold-copper mine in the Chilcotin area. Although facing federal government rejection twice, New Prosperity has been approved of their project redesign and were set to move forward with their plan. However, the rules of the new park allow otherwise. In an effort to conserve and protect the environment, “large-scale industrial mining and clear-cut logging would not be allowed in the tribal park.” For New Prosperity, this means that their project is halted. 

I believe that the tribal park will have a positive effect on the environment and will do wonders in preserving Aboriginal culture and heritage. Although I believe these factors are important to address, there is a great economic loss that results in the new boundaries. New Prosperity mining has the potential for “large-scale economic value” and the termination of this project is a waste of all the resources and efforts put into it. There were previous concerns with the damaging affects of mining in the area, but the company has addressed the concerns surrounding Fish Lake and has passed all the environmental requirements. If the government minimized the park territory, excluding the mining property, then the cultural and economic needs will be addressed perfectly fine. New Prosperity will be able to continue the project and sufficiently aid in strengthening the economy, and at the same time, the First Nations’ heritage and culture will still be preserved in the area despite its smaller size.

References

Pynn, Larry. “Tsilhqot’in Set to Declare Site of New Prosperity Mine a Tribal Park.” The Vancouver Sun. The Vancouver Sun, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html>

“The New Prosperity Project.” Taseko New Prosperity. Taseko Mines Limited, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://newprosperityproject.ca/project-description>

Image

Lenz, Gareth. The Dasiqox Tribal Park includes Fish Lake, above, as well as the site of Taseko’s proposed New Prosperity mine. Digital image. The Vancouver Sun. The Vancouver Sun, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Unilateral+park+declared+Tsilhqot+includes+Prosperity+mine/10192766/story.html>