B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during an announcement about mining in the province, in Vancouver, on May 26.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
B.C. Premier David Eby says his province can speedily unlock $30-billion in critical mineral mine investments in the northwest corner of the province using a “consent-based” process with First Nations.
The B.C. government is facing intense pressure from the province’s top First Nations leaders to scrap Bill 15, the Infrastructure Projects Act, which is set to pass into law later this week. The bill is aimed at fast-tracking approvals for major projects.
Instead of backing down, the Premier announced on Monday that there are major mining projects that are ready to move forward with the full consent of First Nations in the North, including the Tahltan, the Taku River Tlingit and the Kaska.
Some of those communities already have developed agreements with mining operations in their traditional territories: The Red Chris copper and gold mine does more than $100-million of business annually with the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation, employs 220 Tahltans and pays annual royalties to the Tahltan Nation.
Mr. Eby said the province needs to work to speed up regulatory approvals to take advantage of not just growing demand, but shifting markets.
“Our province will be the economic engine of the new Canada that emerges from this moment of global instability,” Mr. Eby vowed in a speech attended by members of the business community, labour, First Nations and conservation organizations.
“Here in B.C., economic development, conservation of precious water and land, and partnership with First Nations go together,” he said. “We cannot realize our full potential as a province, with the timelines that we want, without First Nations as full partners at the table.”
The announcement was short on specifics but the Premier promised to secure consent-based agreements with First Nations on resource development. At the same time, the province intends to expedite protection of lands and watersheds that are identified by those nations. For investors, the government is promising faster permitting and expansion of the province’s clean energy grid so that new mines can access electricity to power their operations.
Mr. Eby sidestepped questions from reporters about how quickly new mines could be approved under his new regime. Instead, he said his government will work with willing First Nations over the next year to determine where projects can go ahead.
British Columbia – alongside many other jurisdictions – is seeking to exploit the growing global demand for critical minerals that are needed for renewable energy projects and electric vehicles. The province currently produces or has the potential to produce 19 of Canada’s 34 critical minerals.
At the same time, the Premier said land-use deals with First Nations in the northwest corner of the province can help B.C. reach its targets to protect 30 per cent of the province’s land and water by 2030.
Nikki Skuce, of the conservation group Northern Confluence Initiative, said the commitment to move forward with protected areas, while better identifying what areas may be open to mining, is welcome. But the rush to streamline environmental reviews is concerning, she said.
“We are concerned about potential impacts of expediting permitting for more mining projects. The northwest already has a number of polluting mine sites – such as the Tulsequah Chief mine that has been leaking acid mine drainage for nearly 70 years into the Taku watershed.”
Mr. Eby delivered his address standing on a pier in the Port of Vancouver, emphasizing that B.C. is well-positioned to access markets in Asia where critical minerals are in high demand.
Bill 15 was developed with critical minerals in mind: If passed into law, it will grant sweeping powers to cabinet to designate priority projects that would jump the queue for regulatory reviews, but Mr. Eby now says the legislation is not needed to fast-track the proposed critical mineral mines that are already on the books.
The proposed legislation was drafted in response to the economic threats posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff measures, and it mirrors efforts across the country to speed the development of economic opportunities that can reduce Canada’s dependence on trade with the U.S. But the province has been criticized by senior First Nations leaders for failing to consult on the bill, which they say may undermine Indigenous rights and title.