By Roy L Hales

The photo above, and videos below, were all taken during a blockade of Grace Islet, on Salt Spring Island, on August 1.  Grace Islet is a recognized First Nations burial islet but, thanks to a series of beaurocratic foul-ups, it was zoned residential and a house is being built there. This would not be allowed if those were European graves, but this is British Columbia and the burials are First Nations.

The Minister responsible for this fiasco, Steve Thomson, has been asked to intervene.

He refuses, saying the permits are in order.

The local First Nations disagree and have written the Government :

• construction started before the owner received a permit
• First Nations were to have been consulted, which was not done
• First Nations elders have not been allowed to visit the burial places of their ancestors
• a cement foundation was poured, though the house was to have been built on stilts
• First Nations elders suspect some of the burial cairns may have been removed, but have not been allowed to check

Gary Holman, MLA for Salt Spring Island, joined the protest saying, “The permit continues to be violated. The Minister has the authority to suspend this construction. It’s insane”

A Ministry spokesperson says, “Staff from the Province’s Archaeology branch did a site visit to Grace Islet this week to ensure permit conditions were being complied with. The ministry is waiting on the results. “

The real question, of course, is not whether the owner violated the conditions of his permit – but why he is being allowed to build on a recognized First Nations burial site!

“Ideally the province would act, but the minister has made it clear that he doesn’t see what is going on at Grace Islet as a problem.  I think that is hugely problematic,” said Ben Isitt, a Victoria Councillor and and Director of the Capital Regional District (CRD).

British Columbia’s Cemetery Act covers graves dug since 1846, the year Hudson’s Bay Company moved it’s western headquarters to Victoria.

Older First Nation’s graves are not given the same respect or protection.

Isitt says the province’s burial laws are “racist” and is trying to get the CRD to expropriate Grace Islet.

(You can listen to the whole of that interview on the radio version of the ECOreport, on Cortes community radio, Tuesday at 12:00. There will also be a copy posted in the radio section of this site.)

Want to know how long this kind of action will continue?

“Until the building is stopped,” said Joe Akerman, who organized the protest.

He also explained the motivation behind this protest is ” to  show basic human decency and respect to people’s ancestors, regardless of race.”

All three videos were made by Bill Warriner of  Salt Spring Live, who has allowed me to post them.