Creation site a no-go for quarry development

Katzie First Nation is making its position clear: there will be no more development on the sacred genesis site of Sheridan Hill.

“We will put the province on notice that as members we are very committed to saving our history,” said Chief Susan Miller.

Miller and her chief negotiator were joined by Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker and a city councillor in Victoria on April 20 to make a joint presentation to British Columbia’s Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett and Environment Minister Mary Polak.

Both Katzie Nation and Pitt Meadows stand in opposition to the Meadows Quarry, a development proposed by Pitt Meadows businessman Bob McLean, who lives in the neighbourhood that would be impacted.

The quarry would be located on the south side of Sheridan Hill, removing 240,000 tonnes per year, and lowering the height of the hill by 30 metres.

While Sheridan Hill is located within the municipal boundaries of the city of Pitt Meadows, the hill is within the heart of the Katzie unceded traditional territory. More than that, Sheridan Hill is the creation site of the Katzie people.

The Katzie First Nation Web site records the history of the Katzie people as having descended “primarily from Oe’lecten and his people, created at the south shore of Pitt Lake, and Swaneset and his people, created at Sheridan Hill.”

Two busloads of Katzie First Nation members made the trip to Victoria. It isn’t the first time Katzie members have turned out in force to oppose the development. At the end of March, about 40 Katzie members joined 400 residents of Pitt Meadows in the city in a rally opposing the new quarry.

The city says the blasting and truck traffic created by the development would be disruptive for residents of the area and cause environmental, agricultural and neighbourhood concerns. But opposition to the development is about more than how it impacts that city, says Becker, who was elected mayor in November 2014.

At that time, he set improving the city’s relationship with the neighboring Katzie First Nation as a priority. Supporting Katzie’s need for proper consultation is part of that growing relationship. 

“They were looking at a very important site being under attack again,” said Becker.

There is an existing quarry, now operated by Lafarge, on the north side of Sheridan Hill. The Katzie First Nation was not consulted on the development of Pitt River Quarries when it began operating in the 1960s as the government had no legally-proven obligation to do so at that time.

Miller says that in mid-February, Katzie First Nation was contacted by the province, saying it had yet to hear back about the proposed quarry. It turned out that the information sent by the province had been misplaced internally by the nation. 

Katzie was given an additional two weeks to reply to the proposal. Katzie responded in one-and-a-half weeks with an emphatic, “Hell, no.”

She says the only notification she received from the developer was an email in October 2014, a year after she took over as Chief. Katzie immediately responded in the negative. Miller says she did not hear back from Meadows Quarry.

Miller said Becker contacted her and they joined forces against the proposal.

“It’s common knowledge in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge that Sheridan Hill is of great importance to the Katzie people and I think that’s why (Becker) called on us as quickly as possible,” said Miller.

“Having Pitt Meadows on side and having the residents on side, really demonstrates how we are in this together…. but we’re very clear that Katzie is in the foreground. This is our traditional territory.”

Becker agrees.

“The consultation requirements with the community (of Pitt Meadows) exist in the (provincial) legislation, but are by no means as strong as the requirement for true consultation with the effected First Nation,” he said.

Moving forward, Miller says Katzie will begin a public campaign to share the story of Sheridan Hill, so people across the province and country understand the significance of the site to the Katzie people and the other First Nations descendants of the hill.

“The bottom line is, in light of the Tsilhqot’in First Nation decision, government has to deal with things in a different way, not simply acknowledging, ‘Yes, this is your territory.’ But they have to acknowledge with legal rights within our territory,” said Miller.