This Controversial Mine on Tsilhqot’in Territory Likely Won’t Get Built After All

A mining proposal that received some eleventh-hour permits from British Columbia's outgoing Christy Clark government has another legal challenge on its hands—and this one is from the feds.

Canada's federal government has launched its own court action to permanently block Taseko Mines Limited from carrying out exploratory drilling at its proposed New Prosperity mine, just over 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake, BC. The petition filed to BC's Supreme court says the drilling near Fish Lake violates Canada's environmental laws and would adversely impact fish and grizzly populations.

The legal action follows one by the Tsilhqot'in First Nation last month, which argued the area is a sacred site used to range horses, hunt, trap, fish, and gather medicines. The Tsilhqot'in say they already proved the area known as Fish Lake must be protected in a precedent-setting Aboriginal title case in 2014.

Taseko got a greenlight to start preliminary work on the open pit copper and gold mine days before the new NDP-led BC government took office. The permits landed during a week where several Tsilhqot'in communities were under evacuation order because of wildfires.

At the time, Tsilhqot'in leadership slammed the timing of the permits. Less-than-ideal optics didn't stop the company's CEO from celebrating the permitting decision, claiming the project would create $12.7 billion of provincial GDP over its lifetime in a statement.

Chief Roger William told VICE all Tsilhqot'in residents have since returned to their homes. "We're thankful to the firefighters, the security, and our own land title rangers that were involved in protecting people," he told VICE. "The threat is gone for now… but the fire changes every day—every five minutes."

William, chief of Xeni Gwet'in and vice chair of the Tsilhqot'in Nation, commended Canada's decision in a statement Tuesday morning. "It sends a powerful message to our people that the Government of Canada also considers Taseko's drilling program illegal and is ready to go to court to protect our interests and the environment," he wrote. "This is Xeni Gwet'in's trapline and inside one of Canada's only Court Declarations of Aboriginal rights."

Federal environmental review panels already rejected Taseko mining proposals in 2014 and 2010. But Williams said he's still not ready to declare the project gone for good.

"We've been battling this for over 30 years—my whole career as a chief of 22 years," he said. "One of our elders said this project is just like a coyote, it keeps coming back."

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