B.C. Premier David Eby says his government can unlock “about $30 billion” in new critical mineral mines in the province’s northwest by striking consent-based agreements with First Nations, skirting away from the pressure to scrap the contentious Infrastructure Projects Act (Bill 15).
“Here in B.C., economic development, conservation of precious water and land, and partnership with First Nations go together,” Eby said, calling the province “the economic engine of the new Canada that emerges from this moment of global instability.”
The premier cited the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, and Kaska nations as “ready partners,” noting that the Red Chris copper-gold mine already channels more than $100 million a year in contracts to the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation, employs 220 Tahltans, and pays royalties to the nation.
For investors, the province is promising faster permitting and a larger clean-energy grid so mines can plug into renewable power. While Eby declined to give approval timelines, he said B.C. will spend the next year mapping projects with willing First Nations.
The strategy is a pivot from Bill 15, drafted to let cabinet declare “priority projects” that jump the regulatory queue. The legislation—framed as a hedge against US protectionism—faces unified opposition from major First Nations leaders who say it was written without proper consultation and could undermine Indigenous title.
Conservationists warn that accelerating approvals could repeat past mistakes. “The northwest already has polluting sites like Tulsequah Chief leaking acid drainage for nearly 70 years,” said Nikki Skuce of the Northern Confluence Initiative, adding that any rush “must not shortcut environmental safeguards.”
B.C. currently produces 19 of Canada’s 34 listed critical minerals, positioning the province to serve surging demand for battery metals while advancing its pledge to protect 30% of land and water by 2030.
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