Clearwater Times: Mining company with big plans in North Thompson boosts Indigenous fund
By Brendan Shykora
The North Thompson Community Foundation's Indigenous Priorities Fund got a $5,000 start from Taseko Mines Ltd.
A new fund has been created in the North Thompson to give local Indigenous people a voice in a way that celebrates and sustains Indigenous knowledge, creativity and leadership, and a Vancouver-based mining company with big plans in the area has gotten the ball rolling by providing the fund's first corporate contribution.
The next step is to encourage other industry partners to take up the cause.
The North Thompson Communities Foundation's (NTCF) Indigenous Priorities Fund was announced late last month. It aims to support local and regional Indigenous-led programs and projects with a focus on education, sport, culture, art and language.
Taseko is excited to be the first corporate donor to the fund, having kicked things off with a $5,000 contribution from its Beyond Potential Corporate Giving Program.
Korah De Walt-Gagnon, Taseko's Yellowhead Project manager, said the Indigenous Priorities Fund aligns well with the purpose of the Beyond Potential program.
"(The program) supports local grassroots organizations and initiatives that deliver direct, tangible, on-the-ground support to people in communities, and we focus on health and wellness, education, and other community programs that support youth, families, and communities that are near our projects and operations," De Walt-Gagnon said.
Taseko's Yellowhead Project is a proposed open pit copper mine located in the Vavenby area. It has a proposed mine life of 25 years and is currently at the beginning of the environmental assessment process. One of the first parts of the engagement phase was an in-person open house at Dutch Lake Community Centre on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
De Walt-Gagnon said Taseko has a strong desire to strengthen Indigenous-led initiatives, which is part of why it has partnered with NTCF on the Indigenous Priorities Fund.
"Taseko has a commitment to ensure that we are meaningfully engaging with Indigenous Nations that are near our projects and operations, and so this is one way in which we develop meaningful relationships," she said. "It's also looking at how can we give back in the long term through sustainable giving as well."
She said Taseko has enjoyed working with the folks at NTCF who support a wide range of initiatives in the valley.
"The North Thompson Communities Foundation has a diverse group of board members who really care about the region," she said. "They are invested in enhancing quality of life for people, and I think that really pairs well with our Beyond Potential program. We want to ensure that we are looking at supporting local and grassroots organizations that provide impact, and we think that NTCF is doing exactly that."
The Yellowhead Project could be a huge economic driver for the region. A 2020 BC Stats report on the project found that during mine construction over two to three years, an estimated 2,180 direct jobs would be created, De Walt-Gagnon said. Throughout the 25-year lifespan of the mine, around 590 full-time positions would be maintained. In terms of spin-off jobs — jobs resulting from increased local activity — 1,120 would be created during construction, and the same number created for the 25-year operation.
In the report, the estimated GDP creation for B.C. is $14.5 billion, and $10.9 billion of that would be generated in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.
It is proposed that during the mine's construction, a camp would be built on site to house the more than 2,000 workers needed. While this means Clearwater's population (2,388 in 2021 census) is not likely to double during those two to three years, its population can be expected to grow in the short term, and in the long term once the 590 workers are in place to work on the mine during its lifespan, even though Taseko will be prioritizing local hiring.
First Nations individuals in the area will be among those Taseko will prioritize giving jobs to, De Walt-Gagnon said.
"We work closely with the district (of Clearwater) to communicate where we're at in this process for community planning purposes," she said.
As for the Indigenous Priorities Fund, Taseko is now putting out a call to action to have others in various industries contribute to the fund and help make more Indigenous-led programs and projects a reality.
