A week after supporters of the New Prosperity mine made their case in Ottawa, opponents have travelled to the nation's capital to lobby against the proposed open-pit copper and gold mine in the Cariboo.
Members of the Tsilhqot'in National Government, along with representatives from the Fish Lake Alliance and Friends of Fish Lake met with New Democrat and Liberal MPs on Tuesday and have further meetings scheduled the rest of the week to discuss their concerns with Taseko's plan to build a mine near Fish Lake.
"Lobby efforts shouldn't influence decisions, but unfortunately it does," Tsilhqot'in National Government chief Joe Alphonse said. "The other side is doing (it) and we have to be there to protect our own interest."
The opponents are pointing to an environmental assessment report released in October which identified environmental and cultural concerns about Taseko's plan. It said that tailings from the mine could harm fish and fish habitat and the construction of a mine could harm the ability of First Nations people in the region to conduct traditional activities.
But Taseko is seeking a judicial review of those findings, citing what the company believes was incorrect evidence filed by Natural Resources Canada. Supporters of the project also point to the number of jobs the mine could create and how it will help the economy of the entire Cariboo region.
While the Federal Court considers the judicial review request, federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq is preparing to brief cabinet on her conclusions about the project's environmental effects later this month.
The opponents will be meeting with Aglukkaq's parliamentary secretary Colin Carrie on Thursday, but were unable to secure meetings with any cabinet ministers.
"It would be nice to meet with some of them, but it seems really difficult for us to line up anything with them at any time," Alphonse said.
Sage Birchwater of the Williams Lake-based Fish Lake Alliance said his group of concerned citizens is supporting the right of local First Nations to have a say about how their traditional territories will be developed.
"We're just average citizens around Williams Lake who feel in synergy with First Nations and don't feel development should happen without their blessing," he said.
Patricia Spencer of the Friends of Fish Lake from 100 Mile House said her group will be keying in on the concerns raised by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency review panel last year.
"We don't want our government to cave in to pressure from corporate issues and sacrifice environmental and First Nations cultural values," she said. "If someone doesn't stand up for the air, water and soil on which we all depend, what do we have in Canada, we've lost too much."
While the Tsilhqot'in National Government has been the highest profile group opposed to the mine, Alphonse said it was nice to have support from non-First Nations groups as they make the rounds in Ottawa this week.
"Oftentimes we feel alone and it's a David versus Goliath type of story for us," he said. "To have people show up out of the blue and support us and make that kind of commitment to come out this far it's huge for us, we're honoured."
Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen was one of four NDP members to meet with the group on Tuesday. He said their requests were reasonable and he hopes the federal cabinet will recognize the concerns raised in the environmental assessment report and stop the mine.
"If the government ignores the panel and overrides it there will be likely consequences in the courts," he said. "There is a better way to do things and we have found in the northwest a better way and it starts with dialogue and respect and that's something [Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris] and the Conservatives appear to consider foreign concepts."
Harris, who represents the riding where Taseko hopes to build the mine, is not meeting with the group. Alphonse said they didn't request a sit-down with Harris because he's never met with them in the past, but Harris said he would be willing to talk about the project if he was asked.
"I'd meet with anyone that comes from my riding," he said. "We'd probably have a pretty good debate as to why I think the Prosperity mine should go forward and they would tell me all the reasons why it shouldn't."
