The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the right of the Stellat’en and Saik’uz First Nations to take Rio Tinto Alcan to court over the Kenney Dam and Nechako River.
The historic ruling will force the company to negotiating table with the two nations who say the dam has negatively impacted their fisheries and way of life since being built in 1952.
Stellat’en Chief Archie Patrick says he’s looking forward to dealing with these long standing problems.
“We’ve put out an olive branch to Alcan to talk to us. They’ve tentatively accepted it. We are going to hopefully if everything is right, begin negotiations with them.”
Patrick wants to see Rio Tinto to live up to their decades long promise of a cold water release valve on the dam which would help migrating salmon. He added that the First Nations should be entitled to a small share of the profits Rio Tinto turns when they sell electricity back onto the grid.
He says they just want to have a reasonable conversation, have a seat at the table and have some say in the way the Nechako River is managed moving forward.
“We could request that they bring everything back to the way things were in 1950, but we are reasonable enough to realize that no one wants to do that.”
Saik’uz Chief Stanley Thomas echoed Patrick‘s sentiments.
“We are just happy to have a table to sit at where we can discuss these issues that have transpired for so many years.”
Chief Patrick called the decision a “win for Vanderhoof” as well. The District has been pressing Rio Tinto and the Provincial Government for a water management plan that would give the town some say on how the river is run themselves.
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