Site C protesters, BC Hydro in Supreme Court today
Energetic City
VANCOUVER, B.C. — BC Hydro is in Supreme Court today seeking an injunction to clear the Rocky Mountain Fort Camp so that Site C dam preparation and logging can continue in the Peace Valley.
The case comes at a time when project opponents are preparing for their next major court challenge, led by the West Moberly and Prophet River Treaty 8 First Nations.
They still contend that, when the BC Liberal and then federal Conservative governments approved the project, they claimed that any harm caused by dam construction could be justified by the energy and jobs benefits it would produce.
Now as part of the First Nation’s opposition to that position, their legal counsel has put in writing a request to the new Prime Minister, noting Canada recently played a crucial role in achieving an historic global accord on climate change.
He goes on to urge the new federal Liberal government to put the principles it championed in Paris into practice in Canada, by concluding energy projects which violate human rights are not clean or green.
Rob Botterell also lists thirty organizations supporting the Treaty Eight First Nations including — the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Federation of Students, the National Farmers Union, the Peace Valley Landowners Association, the Peace Valley Environment Association, Greenpeace Canada, Oxfam, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Wilderness Committee, and Amnesty International Canada.
He says they are ‘profoundly concerned’ construction of the dam is being pushed ahead, despite the conclusion of a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment that it would severely and permanently undermine indigenous peoples use of the land taking away one of the places where they can still practice their cultures and traditions.
Therefore he concludes any government that’s truly committed to reconciliation with indigenous peoples, to respecting human rights, and to promoting truly clean energy must listen and rescind all dam construction permits and halt the work on the Site C project immediately.
