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Nisga’a and Tahltan First Nations partner on gold mining project with Seabridge Gold

The partnership is intended to maximize both Nations’ economic benefit and engagement, they say
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The KSM mining site, located about 65 km north-northwest of Steward, B.C., taken in 2012 (Photo courtesy of Seabridge Gold)

The Nisga’a and Tahltan First Nations have announced the Treaty Creek Limited Partnership, which aims to optimize their participation and economic benefits from the KSM mining project.

The KSM mining site, owned and operated by Seabridge Gold, is situated within the Golden Triangle — an area of northern B.C. that has historically been a resource-rich area. This particular mining operation seeks to extract gold, copper, silver, and molybdenum.

“Today we are bringing life to our long-standing relationship and historical memorandum of understanding by implementing those very provisions of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) that are intended to improve the quality of life of our Nisg̱a’a and Tahltan people,” said Nisg̱a’a Nation President Eva Clayton. “Through our partnership, we are creating a circle of certainty in the Golden Triangle that will attract investors to work with us in our territories.”

Seabridge Gold has been invested in this project since 2001, having acquired a 100 per cent stake, and has since spent more than $650 million on engineering, development, and environmental work. Seabridge has proposed a budget of more than $225 million for 2023, and claim to be on track to reach “substantially started” status by July 28, 2026.

“In 2019, the Tahltan Nation had the honour of participating in the Hobiyee Celebration in the Nisga’a Village of Gingolx, where both Nations re-affirmed and committed to implementing the guiding principles of our May 3, 2016, memorandum of understanding,” said Chad Norman Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government.

“Together, we agreed to make our relationship an alliance. That has come to fruition with the creation of the Treaty Creek Limited Partnership, whereby the Nisga’a Nation and Tahltan Nation will combine forces to maximize joint opportunities on the Seabridge KSM Project.”

During 2022, Seabridge awarded more than 30 major contracts totallying $170 million, $125 million of which was committed for Indigenous affiliated businesses. In that time, the KSM project also created over 350 onsite jobs.

Projections made by Seabridge suggest that during the five-year construction phase, over 1,550 onsite jobs will be created annually, and 1,400 onsite jobs annually once the mine is in full production.

Seabridge is still looking for a major operations partner for the proposed mine.

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