Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. First Nation gets $147M from Ottawa for lost water rights 131 years ago

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jul, 2024 03:37 PM
  • B.C. First Nation gets $147M from Ottawa for lost water rights 131 years ago

The federal government has reached a $147-million settlement with a First Nation in British Columbia over a dispute about water rights that dates back to the late 1800s.

Members of the Esk'etemc First Nation in the Cariboo region began hand digging an irrigation ditch to their reserve with picks and shovels in the 1890s, but the government forced them to stop just a kilometre from their goal to access water for their reserve. 

In 1925, the water rights from the nearby Vert Lake were taken from the nation and granted to settlers of the area and the Esk'etemc didn't get water to its reserve #6. 

The nation filed a claim against the federal government with the Specific Claims Tribunal more than 20 years ago over the loss of the value of the land and the crops band members could have grown there. 

The nation says in a news release that it settled through negotiation for $147.6 million to compensate the Esk'etemc for the loss of water rights over 131 years. 

Esk'etemc Kukpi7, or chief, Fred Robbins says while the settlement is substantial, the impacts of generations of Esk'etemc who lived in poverty because of the water loss is also substantial. 

“This settlement will allow us to plan for a better future for our community, our children, our elders, and generations to come. It will give us a chance to heal and is a step toward reconciliation," Robbins says in a news release.  

MORE National ARTICLES

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival
Racers took to the water for what organizers say is North America’s largest dragon boat festival in Vancouver. More than 6,000 racers and 250 entries from across North America and Australia are expected to compete in the two-day event racing a special fleet of 12-metre, 250-kilogram boats for a variety of distances.

Thousands of racers take to the water as part of Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat
Residents of Toronto—St Paul's will head to the polls today to vote for a new member of parliament for their riding, with observers watching to see if the Liberals can hang on to the seat they've held for the last 10 elections. The byelection was prompted by the resignation of former Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, who held the seat for more than 25 years and was recently appointed ambassador to Denmark. 

Voters head to polls for Toronto byelection, all eyes on whether Liberals hold seat

Body found in a Kelowna park

Body found in a Kelowna park
Police are still investigating the cause of death of a woman whose body was found at a Kelowna park on Friday. Mounties say the 28-year-old was found on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Waterfront Park.

Body found in a Kelowna park

Motorcyclist dies in crash

Motorcyclist dies in crash
A motorcyclist has died following a crash in North Vancouver on Saturday night. The North Vancouver R-C-M-P say in a social media post that the motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the crash that killed the man on Low Level Road.

Motorcyclist dies in crash

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'
The British Columbia government says it has filed a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of so-called "forever chemicals" involved in what it calls widespread contamination of drinking-water systems. Attorney General Niki Sharma says the province is the first Canadian jurisdiction to sue makers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

B.C. launches class-action lawsuit against makers of 'forever chemicals'

Body found near Kelowna

Body found near Kelowna
R-C-M-P say a woman's body has been found in Waterfront Park near downtown Kelowna on the shores of Okanagan Lake. The Mounties say they're working with the B-C Coroners Service to identify the woman and determine the cause of her death. 

Body found near Kelowna