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TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – New revenue-sharing agreements will enable four First Nations in the Bulkley-Nechako area of British Columbia to benefit from the expansion of TSX-listed Imperial Metals’ Huckleberry copper mine.
Economic and community development agreements (ECDAs) would enable the Cheslatta Carrier First Nation, the Nee-Tahi-Buhn Band, the Skin Tyee Nation and the Wet’suwet’en First Nation to receive a share of mineral tax revenues collected by the province from the expansion of the Huckleberry mine, located 123 km south-west of Houston.
“These agreements will not only bring social and economic benefits to the four First Nations, but the entire Bulkley-Nechako region. Reaching non-treaty agreements with First Nations is an important component of our government’s BC Jobs Plan, and I’m proud that today we surpass our goal of ten new agreements by 2015. They ensure First Nations have the opportunity to participate in the economy, while giving industry the certainty to invest in our province,” provincial Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister John Rustad said.
ECDAs are agreements between British Columbia and First Nations for sharing the direct mineral tax revenue on new mines and major mine expansions.
The first ECDA was signed in 2010 for New Gold’s New Afton mine and the provincial government has subsequently inked a further ten mining revenue-sharing agreements that would bring benefits to First Nations communities, while also helping to create certainty for the mining industry.
To date, province has shared more than C$12-million in mineral tax revenues as a result of ECDAs with First Nations in whose traditional territories mines are located.
The latest agreements represent the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth ECDAs that the province had reached to ensure First Nations benefit from mining activities within their traditional territory.
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