Secwepemc Chilcotin River Emergency Table created to address escalating risk at Farwell Canyon

Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has established the Secwepemc Chilcotin River Emergency Table (SCRET) to address growing landslide risk.

The Nation stated it was created to support emergency preparedness and risk mitigation in response to continued inaction by the Province of BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to address a known and escalating risk at Farwell Canyon.

“It’s been a long coming,” WLFN Chief Willie Sellars said, “We have been actively trying to get a seat at the table and be a part of the Task Force that was established in regards to the Chilcotin River Landslide and we just haven’t had any uptake.”

Following the July 30, 2024 Chilcotin River landslide, geotechnical monitoring identified a growing tension crack just downstream of the Farwell Canyon Bridge.

“You can identify that there is a tension crack above the fishing area that is eventually going to fall into that river,” Sellars said, “There needs to be work done and work done in a timely manner, the timing is now. We look at being excluded from the current table that they have and not being able to provide our input and helping on the archaeological component, and permitting, and being a part of those works, it is incredibly frustrating.”

The Nation said despite repeated requests no coordinated emergency response has been established by provincial or federal authorities, and Secwepemc communities have been excluded by the Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) and Ecofish Research Ltd.

“Our insight and our input we think its very critical to making sure that this work is done properly and the protection of our history, our culture, our ancestors, and being rebuffed and turned aside, and not being able to provide that input, is only delaying these very important works that need to be done.”

Sellars said hopefully the Task Force leading those works sees that and they allow us at the table.

While SCRET was established to protect Secwepemc rights and titles in the Chilcotin River and Farwell Canyon area, Williams Lake First Nation said the table will be extending invitations to the TNG, the Province of British Columbia, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to participate in the planning and other activities of the SCRET.