Trust Council Quarterly Meeting Agenda Addendum

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13.  NEW BUSINESS
13.3
Rob Botterell, Naacaluk re: Open Letter to Premier David Eby dated March 4, 2024
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14.  SUMMARY / UPDATES
14.1  Trustee Updates about Working in Cooperation with Others
14.1.7  First Nations Relations
14.1.7.1  2024-03-14 P Johnston - Xwe'etay Lasqueti Archaeology Project
6 - 7
Trust Council
   Addendum
March 12- 14, 2024 (Start time: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday)
Chemainus / Port Alberni Room - Coast Bastion Hotel 
11 Bastion Street, Nanaimo BC, V9R 6E4

 
 
OPEN LETTER 
ROB BOTTERELL, NAACAŁUK
1
 
 
 
 
Via E-mail            March 4
th
, 2024 
 
 
Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia 
 
Copy To: 
Honourable Nathan Cullen  
Minister of Land, Water, and Resource Stewardship 
 
Honourable Murray Rankin 
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation 
 
Honourable Minister Anne Kang 
Minister of Municipal Affairs  
 
Dear Honourable Premier Eby:   
On Friday, March 1
st
 I learned that your government has held high level meetings with First 
Nations to discuss dock tenures in the Southern Gulf Islands area (300 Islands, 400+ km of 
shoreline).  I also learned that Minister Cullen is commissioning a large-scale cumulative 
environmental impacts assessment of docks (existing, pending, future) in the Southern Gulf 
Islands (SGI).  The terms of reference, start date, and completion date for this complex 
assessment are confidential, although I understand that Minister Cullen is considering notifying 
dock tenure applicants and holders.   Until this study is completed, likely 1-2 years, there will be 
no further dock tenure decisions.  Specifically, this environmental impacts assessment will 
inform future government decisions on: 
 
- Approval or rejection of an estimated 50 pending dock applications, some of which were 
submitted over 6 years
2
  ago,  
- Approval or rejection of future dock applications once the current moratorium on new 
dock applications is lifted, and 
- Depending on the study findings, modification and/or removal of existing docks.  
  
(For ease of reference: SGI Dock Reconciliation Initiative)  
 
I am writing to respectfully request your urgent personal intervention in the SGI Dock 
Reconciliation Initiative.    
 
1
 For over 25 years, I have focused on indigenous law, land and resource law, governance law, major project 
negotiations, law drafting, and advocating on behalf of First Nations and other clients.  I have negotiated agreements 
on behalf of First Nations with all levels of government and major resource companies (forestry, energy, mining).  T he 
name NAACAŁUK means  “always watching” and is an honour I received from Huu  -ay-aht First Nations.
 
2
 For example, the previous owner of our property had approval to build a dock which lapsed. After refreshing all the 
application materials at considerable expense, I applied for the identical dock on April 12
th
, 2021. It is now almost 3 
years later and no decision has been made on our application.
  
2

 
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