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 鈥�Reconciliation before Profits!鈥� and 鈥淚ndigenous Inclusion Now,鈥� "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鈥� 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 鈥� only to later walk them back or ignore them entirely."
鈥淭his was presented as a two-year opportunity. Instead, they鈥檝e given us just three months of meaningful work,鈥� said SDC CEO Grahame Go. "We entered this agreement in good faith. What we鈥檝e experienced instead is corporate opportunism鈥攅xploiting our partnership for their benefit and then sidelining us to cut costs. This isn鈥檛 reconciliation; it鈥檚 exploitation.鈥�
The Splatsin note the issue has been formally raised by multiple Secwe虂pemc Bands 鈥� including Adams Lake, Neskonlith, Skwla虅x te Secwe虂pemcu虂le虛 cw, and Splatsin 鈥� 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鈥� 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 鈥� 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."
In an email, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said it works closely with the First Nations whose traditional territories our projects are located in. Regarding the Bruhn Bridge project, the ministry said it recognizes the :deep cultural roots that Splatsin has to the area," and that it is aware of what's happening with the project.
"We are working closely with all parties to address the concerns being raised and to resolve the issues as quickly as possible," said the ministry. "We are hoping that the parties can work through the challenges raised, and the ministry will continue to support as needed."
The ministry said it is monitoring the project site and asked that motorists check DriveBC for updates to highway reopening.
