Summary of 3 treaties signed between natives, BC Government and Federal Government. All 3 treaties still need to be approved and ratified by all parties.

First – Complete Waste of Taxpayers Money over a Thirteen Year Period:

• Auditor General's Report stated that over 13 years and almost $1 billion, plus endless talk, not one single treaty was signed in BC with natives
• Expectation was that by end of 2006, 3 treaties would be signed and a possibly 19 more agreements in principle with 57 First Nations groups would be on the table
• 150 more First Nations haven't even started to try to get any agreement yet

Now for the 3 newly signed treaties:

Treaty One:

• With the Lheidli T'enneh First Nations in Prince George includes Fraser River fishing rights for access to fish for food, social and ceremonial uses. The amount allowed to be caught is based on returns for that year and is about 2% of total for all of Canada. Problem is that the right of the natives to barter the fish will make it very difficult to ensure there won't be any commercial activity. – No dollar amount was released by the government.

Treaty Two:

• With the Tsawwassen First Nation in Delta (350 member tribe) worth about 120 million dollars. It includes about $34.5 million in cash plus about 724 hectares of land.
• This is the first urban treaty with First Nations and promises band members commercial fishing rights and hundreds of hectares of agricultural land.
• The deal will also allow the Tsawwassen band to convert some of that land into industrial use as part of an expansion of the Roberts Bank port terminal. Members of the band will also receive a share of the Fraser River salmon fishery.
• Treaty will give natives a seat on Vancouver's municipal government and special tax rights.

·        The B.C. government will contribute 372 hectares of Crown land to the Tsawwassen First Nation. Of the 372 hectares, the government will remove 207 hectares of land from within the Agricultural Land Reserve. ALR lands are designated for farm use and generally are protected from development, but there have been other instances where agricultural land has been removed from the protected reserve. The Tsawwassen First Nation has the option of purchasing another 278 hectares of land that is currently occupied by farm and settler families in the area.   The so-called Brunswick Point families had their properties expropriated by the B.C. government in the late 1960s to make room for a failed superport project at Roberts Bank.  The treaty gives the Tsawwassen First Nation first right of refusal if the lands are sold.

·        The Tsawwassen First Nation will agree to give up its tax-exempt status within a dozen year of ratifying the treaty. Band members will starting paying the GST and provincial sales tax in eight years and income taxes in 12 years.

·        But a deal negotiated outside of the treaty includes two tax-sharing agreements with the B.C. government.

·        The B.C. government and Tsawwassen First Nation will share 50 per cent of income taxes and sales taxes collected from First Nation members once their tax-exempt status is dropped.

·        The B.C. government will also share 100 per cent of real property taxes collected on Tsawwassen lands with the First Nation.

·        The fish deal includes allotments for the cultural uses of salmon taken from the Fraser River and a commercial fishing agreement that was negotiated outside of the treaty.

·        The cultural use agreement allows the First Nation to harvest 15,226 Fraser River sockeye salmon annually and 2,576 Chum salmon.

·        The commercial harvest agreement grants the Tsawwassen access to less than one per cent of the total available commercial catch of Fraser River sockeye. Last fishing season, that number would have added up to 11,706 fish.

·        The side deal also allows Tsawwassen to harvest 3.2 per cent of the available commercial catch of chum salmon. That number was 9,106 fish last season.

Treaty Three:

·        With the Maa-nulth First Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Treaty signed with group of 5 bands comprising about 2,000 people.

·        Worth almost $500 million, a treaty that includes more than 24,000 hectares of land.

·        The First Nations will receive $90 million in cash, up to $45 million over 25 years for potential revenue sharing projects, and $150 million over eight years for program financing.

·        Estimates for the value of the treaty lands range between $100 million and $200 million.

Overall Summary of cost to taxpayers:

·        $1 Billion over 13 years

·        Treaty One – governments did not give cost details yet

·        Treaty Two - $120 Million approximately

·        Treaty Three - $500 Million approximately

·        At least 19 more agreements in principle with 57 First Nations still to be tabled

·        At least 150 more First Nations haven't even started to negotiate treaties