BC Hydro's Bridge River assets, which include three dams, three reservoirs, four generating stations and 15 transmission circuits that total 850 kilometres of transmission lines, are located entirely within the St'át'imc asserted traditional territory above Harrison Lake.
The density of BC Hydro’s assets in St'át'imc' territory is greater than that found anywhere else in B.C., accounting for approximately 5% of the utility’s generation capacity.
Yet, while many members of the 11 bands that make up the St'át'imc' have been able to look up and see power lines traversing their territory for decades, some members still receive their electricity from diesel generators.
On November 12, four St'át'imc' communities (Q’aLaTku7em, Skatin, Port Douglas and Tipella) took part in an electrification ceremony with BC Hydro to celebrate the arrival of grid-connected power lines to their communities.
On Wednesday the provincial government, BC Hydro and the St'át'imc' announced they have made further headway in resolving some of grievances of the region’s communities – grievances that stem back 60 years when BC Electric first began to construct the Bridge River system.
The St'át'imc' are to receive an initial sum payment and additional payments, the majority of which will be put into a long-term trust.
Financial terms of the settlement will not be disclosed until the agreement is ratified (which is expected to occur in spring following a vote among St'át'imc' members), but earlier media reports peg the settlement at $210 million.
BC Hydro and the St'át'imc have been negotiating an agreement since 1993.
In addition to financial compensation, the agreement provides funding for, among other things, fish and wildlife restoration and a heritage plan to preserve and promote St'át'imc culture
"This is but a small measure of justice for our people," said Mike Leach, St'át'imc chief negotiator, in a release.
"The St'át'imc Chiefs' Council is looking forward to the ratification process and visiting each community to answer questions and explain the benefits of the agreement we worked hard to achieve. We will be ensuring that all of our people will be able to make informed decisions regarding these agreements, and appreciate the cooperation of our community band offices to help make this a success.”
Collectively, the 11 St'át'imc bands own 75 reserves and their asserted territory encompasses 1.6 million hectares.
The province and BC Hydro have made agreements that followed a similar negotiation process with the Tsay Keh Dene and the Kwadacha First Nations, both of which are in the Peace River Valley region. Both of the First Nation communities have been affected by the creation and operation of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and Williston Reservoir.