A First Nation treaty decades in making faces further delays, says B.C. minister

VICTORIA — B.C.’s minister responsible for Indigenous affairs says legislation to move a First Nation treaty forward won’t pass this session, further delaying a treaty that has been more than three decades in the making.

Spencer Chandra Herbert said the Kitselas Treaty Act would not come up again for a vote until the fall, because it hasn’t had the necessary debate as it faces criticism from various corners.

The government tabled the provincial implementation legislation for the treaty on April 15, but it has since faced opposition from neighbours of the Kitselas First Nation in northwestern British Columbia near Terrace.

A coalition of the Lax Kw’alaams and Nine Allied Tribes say the treaty would impact large parts of their territories, and they have threatened to block major projects and take legal action if the treaty goes forward.

Some opposition members have also questioned the treaty, and Chandra Herbert said the delay would give legislators more time for debate.

Chandra Herbert said it would be inappropriate to “try and force a treaty” through without allowing members to have that discussion.

“I believe that there is plenty of time to do the work of consultation and collaboration with neighbouring nations,” he said.

House leader Mike Farnworth also said the Kitselas Treaty Act would be back in the fall.

The K’omoks Treaty Act, which government also tabled during the spring sitting, has faced opposition from neighbouring nations on Vancouver Island, but it passed Thursday on a free vote, with four Conservatives among the 53 legislators in favour.

Chandra Herbert said the Vancouver Island First Nation has worked very hard with neighbouring nations to find an agreement. “We, as a government, will continue to support those conversations,” he said before the vote.

The treaties both still require federal government approval, and may take years to come into effect.

Negotiations for the Kitselas treaty started in 1993, while the K’omoks treaty talks began in 1994.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press