A BC First Nation says a major hydro dam proposal in its territory could help the nation end its dependence on unreliable government funding and pay for homes, salmon restoration, jobs and healing on its own terms.
Energy Minister Adrian Dix said Monday the province is “seriously” re-examining two major hydro options, including Homathko near Bute Inlet northeast of Powell River. BC Hydro says the project is in the early stages of exploration, could generate up to 900 megawatts and has not been approved. Homalco First Nation, whose territory includes Bute Inlet, is the main proponent of the Homathko proposal.
Homalco Chief Darren Blaney told Canada’s National Observer that Homalco has spent about five years advancing the Homathko River hydro proposal after reviewing an old BC Hydro report from the 1980s that identified the river’s power potential.
Homlaco is now negotiating with BC Hydro, but the nation does not want to spend years building support for the project only to be pushed to the sidelines. He said Homalco wants a 50-50 ownership role, along with revenue and contracts, so the benefits flow directly to its members. Money from the power sales and operation of the dam, and jobs created by construction, road building, forestry is desperately needed, Blaney said.
The nation has declared a state of emergency over drug- and alcohol-related deaths but still has not received the help it needs from provincial or federal governments, Blaney said. “We can’t rely on the government for getting us through these difficult times in our communities,” he said.
“This project will give us that.”
The site itself is a major reason Homalco supports the proposal. The possible dam locations are high in the mountains, above salmon-bearing stretches of river and in steep granite terrain. “There’s no salmon up there,” Blaney said.
He recently flew over the area by helicopter and saw “intense valleys” where the hydro project could be built. He said Homalco sees promise in the steep terrain because a sharp drop from a high storage area to a generating station could produce significant power while limiting the flooded area. He said the granite country he saw in the Homathko watershed don’t have the same geotechnical challenges that complicated Site C on the Peace River.
A technical review of the Homathko proposal will examine whether it is feasible and could help meet the province’s growing electricity needs.
Environmental groups have warned that dams can affect salmon downstream by changing water flow, timing, sediment and temperature, even when built above spawning areas. Blaney said Homalco does not believe those concerns are a deal-breaker in this case, because the proposed sites are “beyond the reach of salmon” and fed by glacial water.
He said Homalco’s own stewardship should also carry weight. The nation’s guardians are already testing water and monitoring fish runs and project revenue could expand salmon restoration in the Homathko and Southgate systems, as federal support has not been enough.
“Nobody’s going to fight for the salmon more than we will,” he said. “We are the stewards of the lands in our territory and we will continue to do that work.”
Blaney rejected the idea that outside environmental groups should define what protection means in Homalco territory, saying some describe the area as “pristine” while ignoring past logging, climate change, worsening wildfires and the nation’s own stewardship history.
“Every time there’s an environmental issue, they look for a brown person to throw in there with them, to give themselves legitimacy,” he said.
As Homalco continues its negotiations with BC Hydro, Blaney said the nation’s original plan involved a public-private partnership and if BC Hydro or the province fail to protect Homalco’s interests, the nation could still look at other options including the US. “We don’t have to go to BC,” he said. “Washington State was looking at it.”
He added Homalco has been pressing the province to address what he described as a conservancy designation affecting the project, saying it has made it harder to bring in investors.
Public records show protected areas in the Homathko watershed, but the province has not released a project footprint showing whether proposed hydro works would overlap them. Canada’s National Observer asked the province for clarification but did not receive a response by deadline.
Blaney said Homalco has also taken steps to move the hydro proposal forward outside its talks with BC Hydro. The nation recently bought forest tenure in its territory, giving it more control over logging, roads and potential access routes to the hydro sites. He said Homalco wants forestry work planned around salmon, with wider protected buffers along streams and rivers and logging decisions shaped by rebuilding fish stocks.
The project is about more than electricity. Blaney said it is a chance for Homalco to build economic independence after generations of being pushed to the margins. Homalco has been working on plans for a trauma centre that could support members affected by residential schools, addiction and grief while also helping people stay connected to training and work.
“This dam is about looking after future generations,” he said.
Canada’s National Observer reached out to other First Nations whose territories may be affected by the Homathko proposal, including Klahoose, Kwiakah and We Wai Kai, but did not receive responses by deadline.
Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer.
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jun 18, 2026 at 12:10
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