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Another offer to stop the construction of the Site C dam in the Peace River region of British Columbia was rejected, making it the 15th lawsuit that ended with a favorable decision on the controversial hydroelectric project.
On Wednesday, the West Moberly First Nations lost their offer of injunction with the BC. Judge Warren Milman of the Supreme Court orders a new trial to determine whether the dam infringes treaty Aboriginal rights, set for 2023. That is when the project should be nearing completion, but the tank would not be filled yet.
The First Nation, along with the Prophet River First Nation, argued that the project, which would cost about $ 10 billion, would cause irreparable harm to its territory, and stated that it should be protected under the Treaty 8, one of 11 treaties between the federal government and First Nations. .
The leaders of both countries declared this week that they would do "all that is necessary" to protect the land of their ancestors and decide whether or not to appeal the judgment.
"The court may have chosen not to suspend the dam, but that does not mean the project will never be completed," said Kirk Tsakoza, chief of the Prophet River First Nation. "As the 200 evacuees at Old Fort could tell you, the unstable north shore of Peace River could have other projects."
A slow landslide in the community of Old Fort, south of Fort St. John on the banks of the Peace River, forced dozens of people to leave their homes earlier this month. The slide tore the only road in the city and destroyed power lines, causing public demonstrations. BC Hydro has since stated that the slip was not due to the construction of the C site dam.
Chris O'Riley, CEO of BC Hydro, said the teams would continue their work to move the construction forward safely, adding that utility had concluded benefit agreements with most of the First Nations with which the staff had consulted.
Since 2010, 15 lawsuits have been filed to try to stop the project, including one from the Peace Valley Landowner Association and other Treaty 8 countries.
The utility commission said the dam would provide clean, renewable electricity and produce about 5,100 gigawatt hours of electricity each year, enough energy to power the equivalent of electricity. 39, approximately 450,000 homes per year in BC
West Moberly First Nation Chief Roland Wilson said no decision would turn the dam into a good project.
"The question is how many billions of dollars will be wasted and how many lives will be endangered by continuing this mess?"
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