July 11, 2016 – BC Hydro and McLeod Lake Indian Band announced they have reached agreements in regards to the construction and operation of the Site C Energy Project.

The agreements, which were endorsed in a vote by McLeod Lake Indian Band members, include an Impact Benefits Agreement, a Contracting Agreement, as well as a Tripartite Lands Agreement, to which the province is also a party. Benefits under the agreements include a lump sum payment, a payment stream over 70 years, procurement opportunities for McLeod Lake companies, the transfer of provincial Crown lands to McLeod Lake, and a commitment to consider land management initiatives involving McLeod Lake respecting certain lands.

McLeod Lake Indian Band is a Tse’khene First Nation that adhered to Treaty No. 8 in 2000 and has a membership of about 515. The main community is located on McLeod Lake Indian Band Indian Reserves No. 1 and No. 5, near the unincorporated village of McLeod Lake, approximately 150 km north of Prince George on Highway 97.

“We set out to negotiate agreements with BC Hydro and the province that recognize and address the adverse effects of Site C on our aboriginal and treaty rights,” said Chief Derek Orr, McLeod Lake Indian Band. “The agreements were put forward to our members and supported in a referendum vote. We hope these agreements indicate the start of a long-term relationship based on trust and respect.”

The Site C Project is a hydro dam and generating station under construction in northeast B.C.