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A majority of Tahltan First Nation members have voted in favour of an Impact Benefit Agreement with mining company Skeena Resources, according to results posted Sunday.
Voting took place remotely and at locations in Dease Lake, Telegraph Creek and Iskut. Out of a total of 1,753 votes, 1,357 were in favour of the agreement and 388 were opposed.
The agreement Skeena Resources sets out a royalties scheme and provides compensation for the resources at the Eskay Creek mine site and associated impacts.
According to the Tahltan Central Government (TCG), 53.3 per cent of eligible voters participated in the vote.
While the full contents are confidential, TCG has said publicly that under the IBA, the company will pay an estimated $210 million in royalties to the Tahltan over the life of the mine, as well as $81 million in shares, $17 million toward community supports, and $10 million toward an environmental fund.
The news comes weeks after the Tahltan Central Government announced it had negotiated an additional “upfront payment” with the mining company that would see individual members receive $10,000 at some point in 2026.
The project involves the reopening of a former underground mine located approximately 80 kilometres northwest of the town of Stewart, B.C., not far from the Alaska border. The project covers approximately 58 square kilometers and would be operated as an open-pit mine.
WATCH | First Nation in northern B.C. offered 10k each ahead of vote on mine project:
First Nation in northern B.C. offered $10K each ahead of vote on contentious mine project
In the Yukon, some Tahltan First Nation members are sounding the alarm over payments promised to voters ahead of a referendum this weekend on the Eskay Creek mine. The gold mine is in northwest B.C., near the Alaska border in Tahltan territory. As Caitrin Pilkington reports, some Tahltans see the payments as an attempt to influence the vote.
Eskay Creek is one of 18 projects B.C. is interested in fast-tracking, and has been the focus of a lawsuit with Alaskan tribes over concerns about water quality impacts.
The Tahltan have a unique agreement with the province to consent-based decision making on Eskay Creek — one of the first of its kind in Canada — which means it cannot proceed without their approval. While the lead up to the vote has been contentious, more than 77 per cent of Tahltans ultimately voted in favour.
The project is now undergoing an environmental assessment in B.C. that’s expected to be completed in January.
Skeena is hoping to reopen the site and see initial production begin by 2027.