The Tahltan First Nation appears close to supporting the Red Chris Mine in northwestern British Columbia.
“The Tahltan are not opposed to Red Chris, Tahltan Central Council president Annita McPhee said in a written statement. “In fact they are working toward an agreement on that mine and we hope to have an announcement within the next couple of weeks."
Tahltan was previously against the copper/gold project led by Imperial Metals.
The mine is very close to going ahead in no small part due to the close working relationship made with the Tahltan people, Imperial Metals vice-president of corporate affairs Steve Robertson said.
Red Chris received permits to construct the mine in May 2012 and is slated for completion this summer. At times throughout construction, First Nations have made up more than 20% of workers, the “vast majority of those declared First Nations on the project being of Tahltan heritage," Robertson said.
The community-owned Tahltan Nation Development Corporation has been one of the most important contractors for Red Chris construction, Robertson added. The corporation had the lead role in the mass excavation at the plant site and also in construction of the tailings dam. The two sides also communicate regularly on environment, permitting, employment and business opportunities.
"Our relationship has strengthened to the point where we see our association with the Tahltan people more as one of partnership than anything else," he said.
"We have been working shoulder to shoulder with the Tahltan as we progress through the permitting process. They weren't sitting there as naysayers, they had valuable input. They were opposed to one of our first designs but came up with a new idea, brought it forward, the government got on board, so we were actually the last ones to get on board but it was a vastly superior plan."
Imperial Metals is also the owner of long-existing Huckleberry Mine near Houston.
Robertson said the relationships between First Nations and mining companies is evolving.
"Aboriginal consultation was not something miners were particularly good at," he said. "But it is the new way of mining in B.C. and it is fundamentally necessary. It used to be a check-box on a government form, but now it is an everyday part of your company's life. And to be honest, it is infinitely more rewarding. The benefits of what it all means goes so much farther beyond what the benefits of a mine used to be."
