Members of the Tahltan Nation in northern B.C. have delivered a decisive endorsement of a benefits agreement tied to the revitalization of the Eskay Creek mine, voting in favour of a deal worth almost $2 billion in combined cash, contracts and wages.
The vote, held Dec. 13 and 14, concerned whether to approve an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) with Eskay Creek Mining, which the Tahltan Central Government said would provide $1.2 billion in direct payments and $570 million in Tahltan contracts and $184 million in wages to Tahltan members over the life of the mine, totalling $1.954 billion.
According to Electoral Officer Marcus Hadley, 77.4 per cent of voters supported the agreement, with 1,753 votes in favour and 388 opposed. Eight ballots were spoiled, rejected or cancelled.
The agreement is a central step in the planned restart of the Eskay Creek mine, a high-grade gold and silver project located in northwestern B.C. Production at the mine ceased in 2008 due to low commodity prices. Skeena Gold + Silver acquired full ownership of the site in 2020 and intends to begin operations again in 2027.
The agreement follows a consent-based decision-making framework established between the Province of B.C. and the Tahltan Central Government in 2022. That agreement affirms that the Eskay Creek project cannot proceed without the Tahltan Nation’s free, prior and informed consent.
According to the company, the site contains 4.6 million gold-equivalent ounces in proven and probable reserves, including 3.3 million ounces of gold and 88 million ounces of silver.
Tahltan leadership announced its support for a draft version of the agreement in August.
“This agreement represents another significant step forward for our Nation in our journey towards economic sovereignty,” said Tahltan Central Government president Kerry Carlick at the time. “In addition, we believe it holds great promise as we prioritize increasing services and infrastructure in our three Tahltan communities.”
In the weeks leading up to the vote, Tahltan leadership faced criticism over the announcement of a $40-million advance payment to the Nation, which included an immediate $10,000 payments for eligible members. Some members raised concerns about the timing of the payments and whether full information about potential environmental and financial impacts had been made available.
However a spokesperson for the Tahltan leadership said the project enshrines some of the strongest environmental protections ever in an IBA, and their support of the agreement is grounded in feedback received during a September IBA tour, which emphasized the importance of ensuring all Tahltans, regardless of where they live, see meaningful benefits. In response to that, the IBA includes the $40-million upfront payment intended to support a one-time direct payment to individual Tahltans.