Two First Nations have formed a joint partnership with a transport company to purchase the Port of Stewart bulk terminal on the Portland Canal that separates British Columbia and Alaska.
The Nisga’a and Tahltan nations and Arrow Transportation Systems said Monday in a joint statement that the deal to buy Stewart Bulk Terminals Ltd., which owns and operates the facility in Stewart, B.C., is expected to close in the coming months.
The three equal partners said the deepsea terminal’s primary purpose is transporting critical minerals such as copper concentrate to market from sources including Newmont’s Brucejack and Red Chris mines in Nisga’a and Tahltan territories.
Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, said in an interview that the terminal was in an “excellent position” to support Canada’s critical minerals industry.
“This isn’t just about us purchasing the first Indigenous majority-owned port in British Columbia’s history,” said Robinson, “It’s about economic sovereignty, reconciliation, and ensuring that wealth generated from our lands directly benefits our people and generations to come.”
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He said the partnership would seek not just to expand the facility but also create more opportunities for Indigenous communities and residents in the Northwest of B.C.
Kerry Carlick, president of the Tahltan government, said in a statement the deal is “making history” and will drive economic growth and self-determination, while Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga’a Lisims government, said it was a chance for “economic reconciliation.”
The price of the terminal wasn’t included in the statement, but it said the province provided a $5-million grant to the Tahltan and Nisga’a nations to support the purchase.
Robinson said the costs are “best left with the financiers,” but the partners were grateful for the support of the B.C. government.
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