THE NISGA'A Lisims Government has signed another economic benefits agreement with a resource company which has a project located on territory over which the Nisga'a have rights and interests.
This time it's with Pretium Resources which last week received provincial environmental approval for its Brucejack gold project near Stewart.
The agreement is one of a series signed between the Nisga'a and mining, pipeline and power generating companies in the past several years.
In return for money, training, education and jobs and contracting opportunities tied to the project, the Nisga'a have agreed to support the Brucejack development.
Monetary terms of the deal were not released.
“The benefits from the Brucejack project will make an important contribution towards our improved quality of life,” said Nisga'a Lisims president Mitchell Stevens of the deal.
The Brucejack project is not within core Nisga'a lands but portions of it are within what is called the Nass Area, territory over which the Nisga'a have rights and interests as set out in the Nisga'a land claims treaty of 2000.
“We look forward to their collaboration as we advance Brucejack to production,” said Pretium president Bob Quartermain of the Nisga'a.
Pretium still requires federal approval for its project and still needs to raise final financing in anticipation of a construction start this year.
Brucejack is a high-grade underground project and Pretium is forecasting a mine life of 18 years.
The Nisga'a have previously signed agreements with Alloycorp for its Avanti Kitsault molybdenum project, TransCanada which wants to build a natural gas pipeline through Nisga'a lands to a proposed liquefied natural gas plant near Prince Rupert, with Seabridge Gold for its KSM gold, copper and silver project and with the owners of a small hydro-electric project at Long Lake near Stewart.