Storm brewing over firefighting protocol

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Although the smoke has cleared from the Chilko Lake fire that raged near Brittany Triangle last summer, members of the Tsilhqot'in National Government (TNG) are still fuming over what they allege are the racist hiring practices of the Caribou Fire Centre. During one of the biggest fires in the Interior last year, TNG said outside crews were brought in to battle the blaze while hundreds of qualified Tsilhqot'ins were denied fire-fighting jobs.

Located about 300 kilometres west of Williams Lake, Brittany Triangle is situated between the Chilko and Taseko River systems. It is a particularly sensitive area because it is an off-limits logging area and the subject of an Aboriginal title and rights case filed by the Xeni Gwet'in First Nation.

"Obviously, it's a very high sensitive area. Ministry of Forests is fully aware of that. Out of courtesy, the first call they should have made was to our organization. That's what should happen," said Joe Alphonse, director of government services at TNG.

Alphonse said Tsihlqot'in members were intentionally excluded because it was believed an Aboriginal person started the fire.

Doug Walker, a senior protection officer at the Caribou Fire Centre, which is run by the Ministry of Forests, denied TNG's claims of racism and said they were based on rumours.

"I'm not sure where the rumour started. But the rumour was picked up by people that fought the fire later on and by the RCMP. All of them that heard it tried to dispel the rumour that we thought the fire was started by a First Nations person," said Walker.

The TNG alleges that Tsihlqo'tin firefighters were turned away despite their S-100 training, a fire suppression course sponsored by the Ministry of Forests and the Worker's Compensation Board.

"All of the Tsihlqot'ins, who in good faith took this S-100 ticket, were passed aside by college students and people from Alberta and Ontario. They were actually given this S-100 ticket on the job, so there's absolute bad faith there and I think that as Joe mentioned, part of an insidious pattern of racism here," said Don Wise, the issues co-ordinator for TNG.

Walker said, "The crews that were brought in from Ontario and Alberta were all trained fire crews. We brought crews in from the Yukon territories and from Alaska as well... With regards to our policy of hiring people, we have quite a well known policy... we have a mix in our unit crews, a large number of First Nations members. In fact, the fire engines unit crew based in Williams Lake, the leader is a First Nations member."

Wise said not only were Tsilhqot'ins turned away, their equipment was also on stand-by and was not used by fire crews. But Walker said the Caribou Fire Centre was not aware that Tsihlqo'tins had firefighting equipment available for use.

Alphonse laughed at the claim that fire crews did not know about the equipment band members had. "All they had to do was go down their machinery list. Every spring, if you have machinery in the event of fire or anything like that, you register your machine with the Ministry of Forests. We had done that. So all they would have to do was open their books and look down...all that information was right there and if they say otherwise then that's a blatant lie as far as I'm concerned."

A new 10-to-15 member, all-Tsihlqot'in fire unit is now being assembled at Alexis Creek by the B.C. Forest Service. Alphonse said the idea to start a unit crew was the result of lobbying by members of TNG.

TNG expressed its concerns in a written statement to the Filmon Commission and the B.C. Forest Service, which is a branch of Ministry of Forests. Headed by former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, the commission was set up after the fires to review the way emergency crews responded and provide recommendations for suppressing future fires. In its submission, TNG stated it wanted more co-ordination between Tsilhqot'in firefighters and the B.C. Forest Service. It also wants Tsilhqo'in fire crews to take the lead if another fire occurs in their area. Members of the commission also met with Tsihlqot'in chiefs and community leaders to discuss TNG's concerns four months ago. After the Filmon report was released to the province in February, the commission disbanded.

Alphonse said recommendations made by the commission included establishing "relations, agreements and protocol with First Nations people." But because the recommendations didn't provide an action plan, it did not meet TNG's expectations.

Alphonse went on to say communication between the B.C. Forest Service and members of TNG regarding the events last summer consisted of phone calls and meetings during and after the Chilko Lake fire. Alphonse said members of TNG became frustrated with these meetings involving forest managers of the B.C. Forest Service. Right now, Alphonse said TNG members are only interested in talking to "individuals that want to establish meaningful relations with First Nations people."

Walker said the Caribou Fire Centre had tried unsuccessfully to contact Alphonse to discuss this matter last summer. He is not aware of any recent attempts to communicate with TNG.

"I realize I can't speak off the record, but I think there's some bad relations that have developed, and we'd certainly be willing to sit down and try and address those issues."

Alphonse said he was not aware of any attempts to contact him: "If they've tried to contact us, I've been here. I've got nothing to hide. I highly doubt they've tried to contact us."

Wise said if Tsihlqot'ins and their equipment are on the front lines during a fire this summer, outside fire crews will most likely see one of those machines block the entrance into Tsihlqot'in territory.

Tara Wilson, a spokeswoman with the Ministry of Forests, said, "That's something that needs to be worked out, of course, before there is any type of fire."