The rain cleared up in front of the British Columbia (BC) Legislature just in time for the public ceremony. A crowd gathered on the steps out front, and three yellow stakes were hammered into the soft lawn. Each had a name written: John Horgan, George Heyman, Lana Popham. All BC NDP MLA's who had previously donated $100 to buy a “Stake in the Peace” and support fundraising efforts to stop the giant Site C Dam megaproject BC Hydro is trying to ram through the Peace River Valley. Now that the NDP (New Democratic Party) had formed government and betrayed past commitments to cancel the project – their names, their stakes and their money were no longer welcome.
Moving Forward
The ceremony was led by Chiefs Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nation and Chief Tsakoza of the Prophet River First Nation. They were joined by Ken Boon, a third generation farmer and President the Peace Valley Landowners Association. They had all come down from the Peace River Valley, where BC Hydro is trying to flood 112 km of the land their families and community live and rely on. This was also the opening of the Site C Accountability Summit – which brought together more than 300 people from across the province to discuss, strategize and respond to the NDP government's decision to approve the controversial megadam project.
A real sense of betrayal hung thick over the two day event. Many in the room had volunteered, donated and voted for the BC NDP based on its supposed opposition to the Site C Dam. NDP MLAs were regular speakers at the events organized against the project. Now these same friends had gotten up and said they had no choice to approve the project, despite the billion dollar cost overruns and the obvious betrayal of their commitment to respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They had been invited to the Summit to explain themselves, but had decided not to come.
Fiscal Falsification
The NDP justification was that cancelling the project would mean billions of dollars wasted and an insurmountable accounting deficit. This would mean immediate increases to BC Hydro rates and make it impossible for the British Columbia government to follow through with their spending commitments to poor and working families. Sounds mostly reasonable – but it's not true.
This economic justification was disproved over and over again. Robert McCullough, an International Energy Expert, proved that cancellation of Site C could not possibly trigger the threatened immediate 12% rate increase, and instead would save 3.5 billion for other infrastructure. Seth Klein, BC Director Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, explained how the interest costs on the costs of termination are easily affordable within the BC Budget and a much fiscally wiser longterm approach.
Journalist Andrew Nikiforuk referenced the current scandal of the Muskrat Falls mega hydro dam. To pay for the dam, which is over budget and behind schedule, citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador will see their electricity rates rise to twice the average price in Canada. A damning engineering report early on in the project was hidden until 2017, when costs had already doubled to 12.7 billion.
It was also pointed out that this year Alberta contracted new wind energy at 3.7 cents/kwh. In BC, with more mountainous conditions, the equivalent might be 5.7 cents. The power from Site C is likely to cost 10 cents/kwh or more, depending on the eventual budget overrun. In Colorado, utility-scale solar power was recently contracted for US 2.9 cents/kwh. The equivalent for BC, with 50% less solar would be CAN 5.4 cents/kwh.
The environmental advantages of wind and solar power are clear, and don't involve flooding an unique and fertile water basin that can provide food for over a million people. Also – these are not megaprojects which literally 9 times out of 10 go much beyond budget. They can be built and scaled up over time without immense investments and commitments. The Summit also heard from Judith Sayers, President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. She detailed how the provincial government has turned its back on many indigenous nations who are willing to build these projects on their territories. This would mean clean energy, lower costs, no government debt and job opportunities in communities that really need them.
Indigenous Rights - Fundamental
While emphasis was placed on debunking the economic and “clean power” justifications for the Site C, the summit returned repeatedly to the fundamental issue of indigenous rights. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples requires “free, prior and informed consent” before any projects are built on indigenous territories. Obviously the West Moberly and Prophet River Nations have never granted this consent. Also, as Chief Roland Wilson pointed out, many indigenous nations who enter into agreements with governments or corporations due so under significant duress and pressure. The threat of “sign the agreement and get some jobs and some compensation, or don't sign the agreement and get nothing” is particularity hard for impoverished and remote indigenous communities who have already seen their traditional resources and lands taken away by previous projects. This is not real consent.
The West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations have also already launched a lawsuit in BC Supreme Court to stop construction at the Site C dam because it breaches Treaty 8, which guaranteed that they would be free to hunt, fish and trap on those lands. How do you do any of these things on flooded land?
Action Oriented
The two days Summit dedicated an entire day to working groups and organizing a plan to continue the resistance to the Site C Dam. Across the province groups continue to plan events and actions. Continuing to publicly “re-invest” donations to the New Democratic Party into the indigenous legal challenge gained a lot of support from delegates, as well as protests outside of the courtrooms showing support for the West Moberly and Prophet River First Nations.
While it was in intense two days of actions, education and strategizing the mood throughout the Summit was upbeat and defiant. The Site C Dam project has been cancelled before, and across the province people are determined that it will be cancelled again. Fire This Time was happy to participate and contribute to the conference discussions. We will continue to take part, report on, and support actions to Stop the Site C Dam and Save the Peace River Valley. As was emphasized continually during the Summit: this fight is not over and we will win!
New Democratic Party (NDP) – Stop Site C! Save the Peace!
Stop Site C Dam Now!
Follow Thomas Davies on Twitter: @thomasdavies59
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