News

Yoobx writes:

"A few months ago we initiated a project with the Government of British Columbia. The project entailed developing an approach to diversifying the economy of northern British Columbia. We proposed to engage members of the Northwest Tribal Treaty Nations, members of the North Central Municipal Association, the Northern Caucus, and other representative constituent groups based in northern British Columbia. We occupy 60% of the provincial land mass. The objectives of our proposal were ambitious and broad. One of the objectives included doing a literature review of the economic diversification plans that the communities have already done. Second, we wanted to bring people from the mentioned organizations together to talk about our common concerns. Third, we wanted to undertake due diligence related to the issues that we all face. Fourth, we wanted to put together a viable economic plan that could be adopted by all northerners. Fifth, we wanted to execute the plan with support from British Columbia and Canada.

We are now in the process of executing a financial agreement with British Columbia. The goals that I have outlined above have to be scaled back to fit into the funding that we are about to receive.

The background to the project comes from a number of sources.

All of us face major challenges when we see the economic situation that confronts our communities. The unemployment rate that exists in aboriginal communities is criminal. A number of our communities face unemployment rates of around 95%. The unemployment rate among our people that live in urban centres is just as bad.

The answers to our economic problems that are created in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Victoria do not take some factors into account.

The relevant factors that I am talking about are the following:
- All the oil and gas that is produced in BC comes from the north
- 51% of the revenue generated by natural resource revenue from minerals comes from the north
- 45 % of the revenue that accrues to the provincial treasury from the forest sector comes from the north
- About one third of the electricity that BC produces comes from the north
- There are three operating ports in northern BC
- There are two major rail lines that crisscross the north
- There are major educational institutions in northern BC
- There are major highways to move goods, services, and people
- We are too dependent on resources extraction
- Aboriginal people want to be educated and trained
- We need trained professionals in health services
- We need trained professionals in northern issues
- Most of the benefits that accrue to the Crown are redistributed in the south
- Most of the north is subject to Treaty negotiations
- There are economic, legal, and political levers in the Treaty negotiations process that we should exercise

There are many more relevant factors that could be included in the scenario outlined above. Our colleagues from the North Central Municipal Association and the Northern caucus cannot readily flex the same political muscles that we can as they represent less than 6% of the British Columbia’s population. We do have to have them on side as they face the same economic realities that our communities face.

I believe that by working together on a common economic front we can realize economic benefits for our children and grandchildren. The timeframes that we have to operate within have to be long term. But some major accomplishments can be realized in the next twenty years.

What can be achieved in the short term is as follows:

First, we have to use paragraph 166 of the Delgamuukw 1997 decision as well as other relevant judgments. The Supreme Court of Canada has stated that our aboriginal title gives us the right and responsibility to decide to what uses our lands and resources may be put. The long-term factor in this has to be realized. We have to engage ourselves in planning that will enable us to sustain ourselves. The other part of our aboriginal title that we have to engage is the economic component. This brings us into the realm of revenue sharing.

The current situation needs to be changed. In a study undertaken by the Northern Development Commission (since deleted from government files) on the 1998-1999 fiscal year the results indicate that the North contributes $2,323,259,250 to Provincial Revenue while receiving $1,504,435,521 in expenditures. As a percentage, the North contributes 11.44% of total provincial revenues while receiving 7.24% of total provincial expenditures.

The Crown in right of BC and Canada collect a lot of revenue from our resources. The north benefits very little from that revenue. We should work together to ensure that some benefits accrue to us. By realizing some revenue from our resources we can put together the economic plans that will enable our grandchildren to not only survive but also thrive in the future.

We can discuss this matter further in Prince George on December 11."

Yours very truly,

Elmer Derrick
Self Appointed Interim Chair
Economic Diversification Committee


c.c. Northern Caucus
North Central Municipal Association