Prince Rupert first nations call for negotiations with mill buyer (The Province)

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Prince Rupert first nations call for negotiations with mill buyer

City looking to recoup $8 million in tax losses with sale

Vancouver SunSeptember 21, 2009
 
A Prince Rupert first nations group that calls the site of the old Skeena pulp mill the heart of its traditional territory is demanding to negotiate with any potential buyers before the property is sold.

The City of Prince Rupert is offering Watson Island and the mill for sale Sept. 29 to recover unpaid taxes.

The Allied Tsimshian Tribes 0f Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatia wants potential purchasers to deal with them prior to buying the property.

The owners, Sun Wave Forest Products, have not been operating the mill, but have been leasing some of the facilities on Watson Island.

John Helin, Chief Counsellor with the Lax Kw’alaams band, said the site “has been essentially abandoned with many of the old pulp mill buildings either flooded, overgrown with vegetation or infested with various kinds of wildlife.”

He said the unpaid taxes amount to about $8 million.

Helin said during the past four years, the band – which regards Watson Island as “ground zero” and the heart of the its traditional territory – has watched the asset value of the island’s infrastructure disappear.

“Overseas owners have either entirely neglected or stripped key assets needed to carry on any of the former industrial activities of the lands,” he said.

If potential purchasers don’t consult with his group, “we will oppose the purchase with the full force of law to protect the environment and the harmful impact on our aboriginal rights,” he said.

“We could make it pretty miserable for them, but it’s not in our best interests to do that. What we want is economic development there that will benefit the whole region,” he said.

Helin said the property was little more than a dilapidated garbage dump “composed of largely useless assets with an unknown toxic environmental hazard.”

Given the liability new owners would have under the provincial Environmental Management Act, Helin said it is no surprise “that purchasers with a real intent to build viable economic opportunities have been absent from the advertised sale of the property, so far.”

He said the first nations group and the taxpayers of Prince Rupert are wondering what unpleasant surprises are in store for them from future potential long-distance owners.

vancouversun.com/Prince+Rupe … story.html

I tend to post things I see in other newspapers about Prince Rupert. Mostly just for information sakes. Not sure if it just interests me, or am I wasting mainframers time?,lol

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How much input did Herbie have on this decision?

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I doubt that Herb had any involvement. He can find some positive news in almost anything, but this story is pretty negative.

It’s hard to know where John Helin is coming from. On the one hand he says that the site has been stripped of assets by foreign owners and become a “a dilapidated garbage dump” over the last four years. The Veniez era seems to have been airbrushed out of the picture. He suggests that serious purchasers will be scared away by the remediation costs.   

Just in case parties unknown are not scared away, he seems to be issuing a threat of dire consequences that may discourage them from making bids or proposals to the City, which will take ownership on Sept 29 if the taxes are not paid.

He says that prospective purchasers will have to consult his group. But under the “Haida 2” decision the Supreme Court of Canada made crystal clear that it is the Crown that is obliged to consult and accommodate infringements of aboriginal rights and title, not third parties. 

However, the provincial government no longer has much if any involvement, having sold Watson Island to Sunwave (and the forest tenures to Lax Kw’alaams’ company). Mayor Jack cannot represent the Crown. He was elected by the podunkian citizenry, not appointed by Her Majesty.

So it sounds like private purchasers who are interested in buying the property - if there are any or if they have not been scared away - will be the only ones left standing to take the “full force” of whatever consequences Mr Helin has in store for them, which we are told could make things “pretty miserable for them”.

Of course, a few days ago Chief Councillor Helin announced that Lax Kw’alaams had put in a bid for the property, although the Mayor said that the City had not received anything. Maybe that has something to do with this latest announcement. I’m not sure if this is just about aboriginal rights … I don’t know, maybe someone else has some better ideas as to what all this means. 

 

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Seems like Mr Helin is making it pretty clear that has a group wanting to buy Watson Island, and the city better take it because if they do not he will make it difficult for anyone else to purchase it.

[size=80]Edited by Eso by to separate chookie’s post from Creaking Door’s quoted text.[/size]

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How do they know it’s their ground Zero, is there some sort of Black Monolith standing there like in the movie “2001 A Space Odyssey”. From my understanding of local history, the Gitxaala (Kitkatla) People are the true caretakers of this area. Gitaxxla is one of the oldest continuously inhabited Villages in North America over 5000 thousand years and counting.  

Lax Kw’alaams village is situated on the original site of the Hudson Bay Company’s fort, established in 1834. The original fort was situated on the Nass River, and later moved to its present location and re-named Port Simpson.(1)

The name Metlakatla derives from the Tsimshian Maaxłakxaała, which means “saltwater pass.” Traditionally, this site has been the collective winter village of the “Nine Tribes” of the lower Skeena River, which since 1834 have been mostly based at Lax Kw’alaams, B.C. In 1862, the Anglican lay minister William Duncan established at Metlakatla a utopian Christian community, made up of about 350 Tsimshians from Lax Kw’alaams (a.k.a. Port Simpson) (2)

There are even old villages on the Haida Gwaii that have Gitxaala Names.

My question is, why has the Kitkatla Nation not been more involved with negotiations in which it is quite clear, they are the true original inhabitants of this area.

  1.  http://www.coasttsimshian.ca/splash.asp

  2. Wikipedia

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I believe this all focuses, as usual, around the almighty, dirty buck !

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I think this town must try to be positive because ever since I moved here I find nothing but very negative situations, it sure is not the town I was told it is when I headed here from back east. I kinda think the provincial liberals have everybody over a barrel and they will rape this beautiful province anyway they can get it. Next comes the rivers and then what. Think the city council are into one big mess with this mill so if the first nations want in on it welcome them, I want to see something positive.

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well last time I checked private lands are not subject to land claims so Mr Helin has no grounds to hold up any potential sale, the pulp mill is not crown land it is private land even if the city takes it over due to non payment of taxes, and I think Mayor Jack has it right, if Mr Helin is really interested in buying the land than as they say in the Tom Cruise movie, SHOW ME THE MONEY, he can make all the statements he wants but unless he actually has the money to buy it then it means nothing

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Intresting,so let me see if I got this right,private land sales could be held up by native land claims…well looks like the local relators may have some issues on the horizon.
Gimme a break.

Jacko, just sell the mill site to the highest bidder, let the feds figure out the rest.

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Ahh more blatant racism and trying to use scare tactics to get a better price… Take your toys stfu and go home. Its private land not crown land you have no rights to it just like you have no rights to my land. Suck a nut douche bags.

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" From my understanding of local history, the Gitxaala (Kitkatla) People are the true caretakers of this area. Gitaxxla is one of the oldest continuously inhabited Villages in North America over 5000 thousand years and counting. 

Lax Kw’alaams village is situated on the original site of the Hudson Bay Company’s fort, established in 1834. The original fort was situated on the Nass River, and later moved to its present location and re-named Port Simpson.(1)"

So not true…granted they have been here almost as long as the Tsimshian (lax) but they have not been the “caretakers”. PR is our traditional territory as we had always wintered in that area. In in listening to stories my Granpa told they (kit) would travel thru the area but did not stay. Where as we have always been in this area…

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My father lives back east just off one of the 6Nations Reserves and has had more than his share of problems with land entitlement.  He had had enough one day when a man around 25 came wondering up to his door and said that his family wanted him of their land as it had been thier land for all thier generations.  My Dad (almost 80) turned to him and said “If I see your 200 year old grandfather walk up to my door and demand his land back, then I might think about it, until then,please go”. I know it is has nothing to do with this post, but I thought it was a little comical. Land entitlement and the money involved with it will always be a hot point.

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I agree Jazella… a bit comical to say the least… It’s not like we are going to knock on ppls doors in PR and say get out!! lol  :smile:
Nope thats just not how we do things…

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Actually that’s how it looks! Maybe not saying “get out” yet, but action such as this should not be considered a short play, consider it posturing. It’s a slippery slope folks. 

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They want economic development and they want the mill to be developed properly and they want the value of lands they claim to go up?
Wow!
You guys are SO lucky.

Nakazdli vows to stop mine