2 days ago
Swift News
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), an American non-profit that operates in B.C, says it may make changes to its controversial application to use provincial Crown land, after it does more consultation with First Nations.
The organization recently applied to renew and expand its licences to occupy Crown land, saying it wants to stop and camp at the sites along the B.C coast while on a sea-kayaking trip from Washington state to Alaska next summer.
But the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is the latest to express concern about the application — and after hearing its concerns, NOLS said it would consult further.
The FNLC called on the province to "obtain, free, prior, and informed consent" from First Nations before deciding whether to grant the licences.
"There must be an understanding that First Nations consent is required for most, if not all of these areas," said Hugh Braker, who sits on the FNLC and is a member of the Tsheshaht First Nation on west Vancouver Island.
The potential sites are spotted along the west and east coasts of Vancouver Island, and up the central coast.
