BC Court Nullifies Skeena Sawmills Forest License Transfer
Skeena Sawmills forest licence transfer quashed
On January 7, a BC Supreme Court judge set aside the provincial government’s approval of a forest license transfer involving Skeena Sawmills, ruling the province failed to properly consult First Nations, the Prince George Citizen reported (1-16-26).
Justice Matthen Kirchner nullified the decision by the Minister of Forests approving the transfer of the Skeena Sawmills forest license to 1355387 BC Ltd., a numbered company owned by the Kitsumkalum First Nation.
In his decision, Kirchner agreed with the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs that the license area tied to the Terrace-based operation includes land claimed by the Gitanyow. He said the matter must be reconsidered after proper consultation, adding the file would return to the Minister of Forests, “assuming Kitsumkalum still wishes to pursue the approval of the license transfer.”
Skeena Sawmills was offered for sale by a court-appointed receiver following the company’s bankruptcy in 2023.
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