Undoubtedly, many of you will remember the blockade on Lyell Island; perhaps you were even there yourself. I wanted to relay the connection to what has now passed in the B.C. Legislature as the Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust (Winding up) Act.
In 1985, when I was about 10 years old, a small group of Haida, Elders and youth included, peacefully blockaded a logging road on Lyell Island, otherwise known as Athlii Gwaii.
The Haida Nation was fed up with the unrelenting logging practices in their homelands and beyond frustrated with the lack of progress with the provincial and federal governments in addressing these concerns. Many will recall that the standoff on Lyell Island drew international attention – drawing attention to land title disputes between colonial and First Nations governments, as well as addressing environmental and economic concerns.
Later, in 1988, the South Moresby Agreement was signed, designating the area as a national park reserve. The park is now known as the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site.
As the land would no longer generate revenue from logging, the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account was created to compensate for that. The provincial and federal governments made matching contributions of about $12 million.
Over time, the fund had various iterations with different names and levels of government oversight, and in 2007, it was handed over to all the residents of Haida Gwaii and put into the Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust.
However, when the South Moresby Forest Replacement Account was made, the Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust’s Deed of Trust constrained the spending to projects related to sustainable forestry, and while forestry is still an essential part of Haida Gwaii’s economic fabric, it’s not the only source of economic development.
Now with the passing of the Athlii Gwaii Legacy Trust Act, the funds, now worth approximately $59 million, can be administered effectively by the Gwaii Trust Society, where they will be used for more diverse, social and economic projects guided by the three tenets of restoration, renewables, and revitalization.
This is local governments, the Haida Nation, and communities working collaboratively on a shared vision for the future of Haida Gwaii.
Ignited by “The Stand at Lyell” that happened nearly 40 years ago, we have finally reached a resolution that should’ve always been the case.
I am so delighted that we’ve finally been able to untangle the legal quagmire of this trust that held things up for Haida Gwaii for years, allowing the people of Haida Gwaii to use that money in a way that makes sense for local communities—not from our perspective, as the provincial government or the federal government, but from your perspective.
Haw’aa for your patience.
Jennifer Rice
MLA North Coast-Haida Gwaii