Two Canadian First Nations Buy Strategic Mining Port Terminal
In a first-of-its-kind transaction for Canada’s British Columbia Province, two First Nations have formed a partnership with a Canadian logistics company and will acquire the Port of Stewart Bulk Terminal located in northwestern British Columbia along the U.S.-Canada border. It comes as there is an increasing push to tap Canada’s minerals and resources for economic advancement.
"This isn't just about us purchasing the first Indigenous majority-owned port in British Columbia's history," Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga'a Lisims Government, told The Canadian Press. “It's about economic sovereignty, reconciliation, and ensuring that wealth generated from our lands directly benefits our people and generations to come.”
The Nisga’a Nation and the Tahltan Nation Development Limited Partnership are partnering with Arrow Transportation Systems to launch the Port of Stewart Bulk Terminal. The new group is also consolidating the regional trucking operations of Arrow Transport’s Stewart Trucking Division and Tahltan-Arrow Transport to provide bulk transportation and logistics solutions in the Tahltan Territory.
They note that Northwest BC is home to more than half the province’s exploration and mining sector. They believe the new partnership will provide improved access to deliver critical minerals from mine to market.
The Port of Stewart is Canada’s most northerly ice-free port located to the north of Prince Rupert and supplying critical access to both British Columbia and Alberta. It is 80 to 90 miles from the Pacific Ocean at the end of the Portland Canal and provides support for the logging, mining, and exploration operations in the region.
“Together, we are making history,” said Kerry Carlick, President, Tahltan Central Government. “The acquisition of this strategic asset will drive economic growth, create opportunities, and strengthen our nations’ self-determination.”
The terminal primarily handles ore and logging with a breakbulk wharf and RoRo capabilities for barges. It can accommodate vessels up to approximately 50,000 dwt for the transport of ore and logs.
One of the key customers is Newmont, which operates the Brucejacket and Red Chris mines in the indigenous communities’ territories and transports copper concentrate to market from the port. Newmont is strengthening its ties with the First Nations to support long-term growth of the port as a regional hub and provide the port’s new owners commercial certainty needed to move forward with the investments.
The Province of British Columbia has also provided a C$5 million (US$3.6 million) grant to the two First Nations to support the purchase of the Port of Stewart Bulk Terminal. It is part of the government’s Northwest Strategy to support mining development and the indigenous peoples.