Clayoquot band gives in on copper test-drilling
CATHRYN ATKINSON
From Friday's Globe and Mail
theglobeandmail.com
April 11, 2008 at 4:51 AM EDT
In an about-face that has stunned local environmentalists, the Ahousaht band of Clayoquot Sound has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vancouver-based Selkirk Metals to test drill for copper on Catface Mountain, a principal landmark for the Tofino area.
Catface Mountain was at the epicentre of the protests in the early 1990s that saw 12,000 people from around the world descend on Clayoquot to protest against old-growth logging. Now, activists fear that an open-pit mine will be created with the blessing of the native community that lives beneath its shadow.
The Ahousaht had opposed test drilling as recently as 2006, but entered into talks with Selkirk Metals after the company took over mineral rights in September, 2007.
Chief John Frank estimated the unemployment rate in his isolated community, located about 24 kilometres northwest of Tofino, at about 65 per cent. He said the council felt compelled to entertain Selkirk Metal's offer.
"The people chose to look how we could create economic development in our community, because the past decade we have lost fishing and we had [to] look at alternatives to fix that," Mr. Frank said.
"We had to look at the resources around us, and we had to look at partnering up with people who want to come into our community to do assessments such as Catface Mountain. We want to see if there are enough minerals to ... help the community get back on its feet."
If the copper deposit is found to be economically viable, the Ahousaht would then hold a referendum about whether to proceed in supporting a full-blown mine, Mr. Frank said.
Graham Keevil, Selkirk Mine's business-development manager, said company officials believe about 155 million tonnes of copper could be found in the mountain, making it one of the richest deposits on Earth. It was not necessary to have native approval to test drill, but he said it was what the company wanted.
"We went into the situation with no expectations, but having the Ahousahts on our side and having them agree to the point that this is an opportunity for everyone in the region is a great benefit as you go through all those processes," Mr. Keevil said.
"As far as we're concerned, we feel that mining has made a lot of leaps as far as the sustainability side of things goes, and we think that this would be a perfect opportunity for ourselves on behalf of the industry to demonstrate them."
After the assessment is made, Mr. Keevil said, the company would then approach the government for environmental permits needed to proceed with the mine.
"At this stage, this is not mining by any stretch of the imagination. This is drilling a few holes; pretty low-impact stuff," he said.
Local environmentalists are unhappy with the development.
Kevin Bruce, spokesman for Friends of Clayoquot Sound in Tofino, said any economic benefits to the Ahousaht would be short-lived.
"Yes, there will totally be a reaction from the environmentalists. We're incredibly disappointed that the Ahousaht has made this decision. An open-pit mine on Catface Mountain would be disastrous for Clayoquot Sound," he said, adding that it would likely galvanize people who wanted to see the area remain undeveloped.
"This town will wake up and realize that this is the mountain that is straight across from them. This isn't a mine shaft they are planning, they're going to blow the top third of the mountain off," he said.
Mr. Bruce also expressed concern over acid drainage water leaching from sulphur rock in the mine into Clayoquot Sound.
"We get 15 feet of rain here and no amount of retention of tailing that could be built would hold back that much toxic water," he said.
The deputy leader of the federal Green Party, Adriane Carr, was a signatory of the agreement that ended the protests against logging in 1993. She also played a part in the negotiating that led to Clayoquot Sound being granted UNESCO biosphere reserve status in 2000.
"Clayoquot Sound is just the wrong place for this. Since the first protests in Clayoquot Sound, there has been a global interest in protection of it and the biosphere designation brought people together with a commitment to protect its incredible biodiversity," Ms. Carr said.
She said she could see environmentalists protesting the mine.
"Catface has always been a flashpoint. There was huge opposition to logging on Catface and I can't see that this would be any different. It's in the heart of Clayoquot," she said.
"I can predict a renewed interest locally, nationally and internationally on wanting to see the integrity of that biosphere maintained."
Mr. Frank said the Ahousaht were in a difficult position. "What would I say [to the environmentalists]? I say, we'd put our drills away, I'd put everything away if there was equality of jobs and if we could get up in the morning and think we had something to go to," he said.
"We need something to get our economics happening and get to the level that the rest of Canada is at. If the environmentalists could do that for us, my God, we'd walk away from Catface Mountain with a snap of the finger. But if they can't do anything, then what alternatives do we have?"
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