Eby touts Treaty 8 restoration progress as new agreements signed Tuesday: BCNRF
PRINCE GEORGE – On the three-year anniversary of four Treaty 8 First Nations – Saulteau, Halfway River, Doig and Fort Nelson First Nations – reaching a consensus on a collaborative land use planning in northeastern British Columbia, Premier David Eby announced further progress has been made.
In the 2023 consensus document, initiatives were set out to build a path to uphold the rights of Treaty 8 First Nations, restore the environment and support responsible resource development and economic activity in the northeast. The goal of these initiatives is to ensure that the province and First Nations are stewarding the land, together, to achieve sustainability for future generations.
At the BC Natural Resource Forum banquet in Prince George on January 20, Premier Eby reiterated these goals, while announcing further progress on restoration.
During his keynote speech at the banquet, Eby said:
“I’m also pleased to share that we’ve made progress on the Treaty 8 restoration agreements with signings today.”
While the premier didn’t give any specific details of the new agreements, he spoke at length during the banquet about the need for industry, government and Indigenous people to work together for the benefit of the whole province.
On the signings he announced, Eby said they are “providing funding for First Nations-led land restorations while supporting predictable, responsible resource development in the northeast. These agreements will deliver both environmental benefits and economic certainty for communities and investors.”
He held up partnerships and working with First Nations throughout the province as a process that will provide certainty and clear timelines, whose end result will be investment in British Columbia.
“That’s how we grow, how we’re going to create good jobs, and that’s how we secure British Columbia’s future.”