First Nations left empty-handed

[Glacier]

Ellis Ross is filled with gut-wrenching dread as several major proposed energy projects unravel in British Columbia.

The former chief counsellor of the Haisla Nation near Kitimat has laboured for more than 13 years to improve Indigenous lives through economic self-sufficiency — it’s how he says he measures success — and now it could all come crashing down because of what he believes are misguided government actions that burden those projects with unnecessary costs.

“We were right on the cusp of First Nations in my region being able to look after themselves,” said Ross, who ran and won a Liberal seat in the provincial legislature last May to help get the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry off the ground.

“We were just starting to turn the tide on that opposition to everything. For the first time, since white contact, we were ready to take our place in B.C. and Canada. Instead, B.C. is not going to exist pretty soon in terms of investment. That is how worried I am.”

http://business.financialpost.com/commo ... y-projects

[LordEd]

No, that's not how you make an inflammatory subject line.

Try "NDP destroy first nation's chances to escape poverty" or "NDP destroys $2B benefit to first nations"

[Cactusflower]

So it's official at last..........First Nations are NOT the 'protectors of the land'; they are greedy opportunists just like the oil and gas corporations. And what part of 'prolonged depressed prices of LNG' do they not understand?

[Glacier]

Ya, you and I got rich off the land. Shame on the First Nations for also wanting to make a living so they aren't living abject poverty. Shame on them for wanting what we got. Let's keep them poor so that we can control them and make racist remarks about how they keep committing crimes because they suck.

[Cactusflower]

Ya, you and I got rich off the land. Shame on the First Nations for also wanting to make a living so they aren't living abject poverty. Shame on them for wanting what we got. Let's keep them poor so that we can control them and make racist remarks about how they keep committing crimes because they suck.

What part of 'prolonged depressed LNG prices' do you not understand? The First Nations have always maintained that they are the protectors of the land (or something like that) and yet they want to benefit from the same things they say will destroy the environment. In order to practice what they preach, they should be supporting the 'green' sector. There will be plenty of long-term jobs if and when the new government streamlines B.C.'s economic future.

[Glacier]

There you go telling the First Nations what to think again. It's political activists in Vancouver telling them that they are protectors of the land (who knows what that means exactly). Just as there is debate on Castanet and in the rest of BC over the environment, there is debate among the first nations. The ones at the top making good money running the show are good with the status quo, but those with no job and no money want some jobs.

They don't want the white main Vancouver and Kelowna telling them that they cannot have a little bit of industry that pales in comparison to what Kelowna and Vancouver have today. Having a small development that gives jobs to the First Nations is not wrecking the land. It's hypocritical of us living in the overdeveloped Okanagan to tell them otherwise.

[Cactusflower]

There you go telling the First Nations what to think again. It's political activists in Vancouver telling them that they are protectors of the land (who knows what that means exactly). Just as there is debate on Castanet and in the rest of BC over the environment, there is debate among the first nations. The ones at the top making good money running the show are good with the status quo, but those with no job and no money want some jobs.

They don't want the white main Vancouver and Kelowna telling them that they cannot have a little bit of industry that pales in comparison to what Kelowna and Vancouver have today. Having a small development that gives jobs to the First Nations is not wrecking the land. It's hypocritical of us living in the overdeveloped Okanagan to tell them otherwise.

I'm not telling First Nations what to think; I'm merely telling readers what I think. I've known and worked with many indigenous people over the years and many have been very successful in jobs that don't include the destruction of our environment. I think those First Nations (such as the various Okanagan Indian Bands) would agree with me there.

[CapitalB]

In the end, Petronas cancelled the project because of “the extremely challenging environment brought about by the prolonged depressed prices” for LNG.

In the same article.

So not environmentalists really just normal economics. As usual if there was a bunch of money riding on it no amount of environmental protesting or lobbying would have stopped the project.

[Glacier]

I've worked with First Nations too. You know what they do in remote places? They log. They mine. Just as the white man does. They are not destroying the environment. Logging and mining are important parts of the BC economy, and we should not keep those jobs just for the white man. In fact, I've seen great success stories in recent years where many First Nation people have been able to start their own logging and mining companies, which in turn employ many other First Nation people. Again, this is not a bad thing. It is not ruining the environment. It is not something we should only reserve for the white man. Period.

[Verum]

About the most laughable description of Ross I've ever heard:

Ellis Ross, former chief counsellor of the Haisla Nation near Kitimat, has laboured for more than 13 years to improve Indigenous lives through economic self-sufficiency

I have heard more colourful descriptions from plenty of First Nations people he is supposed to represent and this was before he was appointed to run by Clark.

Interestingly, the article mentions about the opposition that the First Nations provided and the payouts they were looking for. In particular, the $2 billion going to the Lax Kw’alaams Band was a significant proportion of the cost associated with the Pacific NorthWest LNG project which was cancelled because of depressed prices, relative to expected costs. That $2 billion for 1 band would have been almost 6% of the total cost for the project. It doesn't take too many of these kinds of deal to make a very profitable project very unprofitable. Maybe these projects are being killed as much by expectations of those hoping to profit off of them as the environmentalist pressures. I wonder if Ross and his ilk would like to address that issue, or would that just annoy his voter base too much and not be something he can use as a political football?

[hobbyguy]

The NDP little red book followers will never realize that there is a balance. The NDP has a well deserved reputation for saying "Noooo" to everything.

Why would any corporation bother to try to negotiate with a government that operates that way? Just a waste of time and money.

The little red book followers need to ask themselves a simple question - what has the NDP ever said yes to? Nothing since Dave Barret. All the NDP have done is pad their personal bank accounts and shout "Noooo". Meanwhile not even being able to manage their own party finances.

[The Green Barbarian]

So it's official at last..........First Nations are NOT the 'protectors of the land'; they are greedy opportunists just like the oil and gas corporations.

Just disgusting. Really sick and sad.

[maryjane48]

Ya, you and I got rich off the land. Shame on the First Nations for also wanting to make a living so they aren't living abject poverty. Shame on them for wanting what we got. Let's keep them poor so that we can control them and make racist remarks about how they keep committing crimes because they suck.

I never got rich off raping the,earth. You should speak for yourself. Facts are the band mr ross speaks for has been impovershed because the govts of canada and bc lack of engagment on. Economic issues.

Just because mr ross was enticed by the siren of easy money doesnt address the last 16 years of neglect that the bclibs showed towards first nation issues of treatys and land use .

The rightwing should also ask themselves why is the only deals they want to engage first nations include them to ?why cant they invest in first nations so first nations can shape their own future that doesnt include the risk of oil spills or some other type of poison ? Have we not done enough harm to first nations in the chase for the dollar through resource extraction ?

West moberly and prophet river bands could see their land flooded by bclib govt choice to build a,dam without bcuc review. So if you have a concern for the kitimatt bands plight then you better have concern for peace river bands also .

[Cactusflower]

I've worked with First Nations too. You know what they do in remote places? They log. They mine. Just as the white man does. They are not destroying the environment. Logging and mining are important parts of the BC economy, and we should not keep those jobs just for the white man. In fact, I've seen great success stories in recent years where many First Nation people have been able to start their own logging and mining companies, which in turn employ many other First Nation people. Again, this is not a bad thing. It is not ruining the environment. It is not something we should only reserve for the white man. Period.

"Period" doesn't mean "end of discussion". Why are you bringing up logging and mining when the discussion concerns the oil and gas industry?

[The Green Barbarian]

I never got rich off raping the,earth. You should speak for yourself. Facts are the band mr ross speaks for has been impovershed because the govts of canada and bc lack of engagment on. Economic issues.

So do you agree or disagree with this disgusting statement?

So it's official at last..........First Nations are NOT the 'protectors of the land'; they are greedy opportunists just like the oil and gas corporations.