With the announcement by Paper Excellence that the Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill is being permanently curtailed, Tla’amin Nation has been working to ensure that any development at the site meshes with its values.
Tla’amin executive council member Dillon Johnson said Tla’amin has been consistent since it was discovered that Paper Excellence was intending to sell the site.
“We wanted to ensure that the site doesn’t fall into hands that would ultimately result in it languishing,” said Johnson. “We’ve seen what’s happened to pulp mills at other sites in this province and we’re doing everything we can to ensure it doesn’t happen to Tis’kwat.”
Johnson said in the recent joint statement from Tla’amin and qathet Regional District (qRD) regarding the Tis’kwat mill, there is a statement of responsible ownership at the site, and that includes the environmental aspect, economic aspect and cultural aspect.
“Our objectives are twofold,” said Johnson. “One is that we want to ensure the next owners of the site are responsible and have local interests at heart, and a big part of that is having the Tla’amin interests at heart. Our approach has been to make sure that the same thing doesn’t happen that happened in Port Alice and Prince Rupert.”
“We have been open and transparent about our other objective to be the next owners of the site. We would only become the next owners if we did have a responsible plan to manage the environmental side and deliver something that is well thought-out and meets our values.”
Johnson said the mill site has been substantially developed, and has been used and abused. Tla’amin knows it is not going to be returned to what it was when it was known as Tis’kwat, he added.
“It may never be a green paradise down there, but it can be something that is both economically productive, and also environmentally responsible,” said Johnson. “Our vision is to accomplish both of those objectives.”
Johnson said the joint statement with qRD is about making sure whoever owns Tis’kwat has a responsible plan.
“We’d like that to be Tla’amin,” said Johnson. “When we have a responsible plan to present, we hope that it will be seen as getting everyone behind it.
“We have spent a lot of time and money doing due diligence, understanding the environmental state of affairs, and the overall condition of the infrastructure down there. It’s a really complex site and we have been wrapping our heads around it.”
Johnson said at the same time, Tla’amin Nation is pursuing whatever economic partnerships would make sense.
“It’s still relatively early days,” said Johnson. “We believe we are talking to the right people in terms of having proven track records in delivering projects that we think would be aligned with our values. We don’t have any partnerships to announce.
“We’re still in the early days of due diligence. We are going to be doing some business and financial planning and business modelling. We’re on the right track.”
Johnson said it has been 140 years since Tla’amin has not had a say or role to play in what has happened at Tis’kwat, or any kind of meaningful benefit from the location, which was once such a productive site.
“It was our main settlement site,” said Johnson. “When Paper Excellence announced they were curtailing and selling the site, we set out to reclaim it and have a meaningful role in what happens next, in a modern context.
“We’ve never let go of Tis’kwat. It’s a missing part of the Tla’amin Nation. We’d like to see it returned to Tla’amin stewardship.”
Johnson said when Tla’amin is able to share its plans, the hope is that it is something everyone will be excited about. He said members of council, staff and some outside advisors are working hard, providing a public service for the region.
“We’re doing the work to understand the site,” he added, “and really advocating for everyone’s interests.”
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