Details released about historic signing

Port discusses elements of Coast Tsimshian deal
Posted on April 27th, 2011 by MuskegPress in News



A month after the minister of transportation visited Prince Rupert to herald a new deal between the government and the Coast Tsimshian, the Port Authority discussed some details of the plan at the monthly Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

On April 27, Andrew Mayer, the vice president of commercial & regulatory affairs with the Port, fleshed out some of the features of the deal, which he officially called the “Phase I, Phase II & Terminal 2 Settlement Agreement.”

Mayer said the deal will last 40 years and include the following terms:

•Transfer of federal & provincial Crown lands, located next to Fairview Terminal, to the Coast Tsimshian;
•“Economic development payments” from the federal government to the Coast Tsimshian. Mayer said this “substantial amount of money” is intended to be used by the Coast Tsimshian to train its members;
•Financial payments from the Port to the Coast Tsimshian for Phase I and Phase II work.;
•Contracting opportunities. In some cases, the Coast Tsimshian will have the ability to bid on a contract first – they must then demonstrate they have the necessary qualifications to complete the work, and the bid must be shown to be competitive. Mayer also said the qualifications and experience of any joint venture working with the Coast Tsimshian will also be taken into account;
•The ability for the Coast Tsimshian to be the sole source of contracting opportunities for major projects, such as Ridley Island Road and the rail utility corridor;
•50 jobs targeted to the Coast Tsimshian for Phase II;
•150 “operations jobs” over a 10-year period;
•Cash payments from the Port Authority for Phase I. In essence, the Coast Tsimshian would receive payments per container once the number of containers shipped reaches a certain threshold;
•After Phase II is built, the Coast Tsimshian will receive a cash settlement payable in one of the following scenarios: over 15 years, or lump-sum, or on a 20-foot container basis.
In promoting the deal, Mayer said it benefitted not only the Port, but also Prince Rupert as a whole. He said the agreement will lead to improved opportunities for the Coast Tsimshian, jobs & profits will remain in Rupert, and there will be improved marketability of the Port.

Mayer also pointed out that while all parties have agreed to these terms, the agreement has not actually been signed yet. He said the signing was delayed by the federal election, and predicted the ink would be on the paper shortly after May 2.

Most of the terms of the agreement had been distributed by the Port in a backgrounder handed out on March 14, when then-minister of transportation Chuck Strahl made the official announcement. While Mayer gave a more in-depth examination of the details, there are still many unknowns, such as the exact dollar figures for the cash settlements, when Coast Tsimshian members would start seeing jobs, and how much training the jobs would require.

In an interview after the luncheon, Mayer told Muskeg News the parties in the agreement will likely discuss the release of further information after the execution of the final agreement.

When Strahl made the announcement last month, Garry Reece & Harold Leighton, the chief councillors at Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla (which comprise the Coast Tsimshian), praised the agreement in front of about 50 people gathered for the announcement.

“This deal brings us certainty that we can do business in partnership with our neighbours,” said Leighton in his remarks to the audience last month.

~Written by Chris Armstrong Muskeg News