Local First Nations have set up what they are calling a peaceful blockade at the site of the Bruhn Bridge replacement in response to labour concerns involving the use of Indigenous contractors and workers.
The Splatsin and Splatsin Development Corporation (SDC) initiated the blockade at 10 a.m., Monday, May 12, with four SDC dump trucks positioned at either end of the Highway 1 crossing "in response to repeated exclusion, broken agreements, and systemic disregard from Aecon Group Inc. and Emil Anderson Group on the Bruhn Bridge Replacement Project," reads a Splatsin media release.
The bridge was scheduled to be closed to traffic between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for ongoing work on the construction project. The blockade was expected to last until 3 p.m. on May 12.
"This action follows months of failed attempts to secure fair and meaningful participation for Indigenous contractors and workers," said the Splatsin, noting community members participating in the demonstration would be wearing shirts and carrying signs with messages such as 乌鸦传媒�Reconciliation before Profits!乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒淚ndigenous Inclusion Now,乌鸦传媒� "expressing their frustration and call for immediate action."
The band noted while the blockade may be an inconvenience to some commuters, traffic is still flowing via the designated construction detour using highways 97A and 97B.
"Local access within Sicamous remains open," said the band.
In a separate media release, the Splatsin raises concern with the conduct of Aecon Group Inc. (AECON) and Emil Anderson Group (Emil Anderson), alleging that "despite operating within Secwe虂pemc territory and publicly committing to Indigenous participation through Splatsin Development Corporation乌鸦传媒� AECON and Emil Anderson (The Partnership) have consistently failed to live up to the Truth and Reconciliation commitments they claim to support.
"Rather than creating meaningful opportunities, The Partnership has offered empty assurances and verbal commitments 乌鸦传媒� only to later walk them back or ignore them entirely."
乌鸦传媒淭his was presented as a two-year opportunity. Instead, they乌鸦传媒檝e given us just three months of meaningful work,乌鸦传媒� said SDC CEO Grahame Go. "We entered this agreement in good faith. What we乌鸦传媒檝e experienced instead is corporate opportunism乌鸦传媒攅xploiting our partnership for their benefit and then sidelining us to cut costs. This isn乌鸦传媒檛 reconciliation; it乌鸦传媒檚 exploitation.乌鸦传媒�
The Splatsin note the issue has been formally raised by multiple Secwe虂pemc Bands 乌鸦传媒� including Adams Lake, Neskonlith, Skwla虅x te Secwe虂pemcu虂le虛 cw, and Splatsin 乌鸦传媒� in a joint memo to B.C.'s Minister of Finance.
In a separate media release, the Neskonlith Kukpi7 (Chief) Irvin Wai shares the band's "deep frustration with the persistent issues surrounding contracts awarded to specific contractors, as well as the ongoing circumvention of established regulations through the BC Infrastructure Benefits process."
"These issues have compromised our communities乌鸦传媒� rights to fair and equitable opportunities to participate in projects within our own territory," said Wai. "It is particularly disheartening to see contractors bypass Indigenous communities, denying us meaningful participation in major development projects.
"These practices are not only discriminatory, but represent a significant setback for the progress and prosperity of our people."
Wai stressed "we are not asking for special treatment 乌鸦传媒� only for fair and transparent access to opportunities that impact our land and our people.
"We hope that by continuing to bring attention to these issues, we will begin to see positive and inclusive outcomes for all First Nations communities."
It was anticipated the blockade would end at 3 p.m. on May 12.
The Observer has contacted the Ministry of Transportation and Transit and will provide more information as it becomes available.
