First Nation says UN Commitee will meet, ask ‘pointed questions’ about Site C

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — On the same week BC Hydro has gone to Provincial Supreme Court to seek an injunction to remove protesters from the tent camp where contractors are working on the Site C dam project, a United Nations Committee is presenting some pointed questions about the mega-project to Canadian diplomats.

Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nation says the Committee is meeting in Geneva and will ask about consent of indigenous peoples regarding resource projects.

The Moberly Lake and Prophet River First Nations allege Canada is not respecting international law on aboriginal and treaty rights as Hydro proceeds with the huge site clearing project for construction of the third dam on the Peace.

The latest legal developments in the dispute also comes in the middle of another round of Peace Region Hydro job fairs, which drew long line-ups last week in both Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. Generally, they’re believed to be the result of the oil and gas industries economic downturn, although there’s no evidence of a definitive set of numbers to prove it.

Speaking of numbers and the oil and gas industry, the Upstream Development Division of the Ministry of Natural Gas Development will hold its second monthly sale of Crown Petroleum and Natural Gas Land Rights tomorrow.

It looks like it will be another forgettable one in terms of government revenue with only two drilling licences and three leases covering less than 1,400 hectares on offer.

Last month, the year got off to a bleak start with the purchase of six of eight parcels offered for only 212 thousand dollars, more than two million off the bonus bids total from the January sale last year.

However, it will only take a total tender bonus of 636,000 tomorrow to exceed a very poor February sale in 2015 and looking ahead a month, there’s reason to believe things could improve a bit, with the March 23 sale offering eight drilling licences and three leases covering about 6,300 hectares.