First Nations take ownership of critical minerals hub for Northwest B.C.

Stewart Bulk Terminals at the head of the Portland Canal on the B.C.-Alaska border is currently a small operation, but the First Nations and transportation company partners that have struck a deal to buy the facility see it as crucial infrastructure for unlocking the province’s critical minerals.

The Nisga’a and Tahltan nations, with Arrow Transportation Systems, formed the partnership that has been working for two years to buy the privately owned terminal at Stewart’s deep sea port.

“This isn’t just about us purchasing the first Indigenous majority-owned port in B.C.’s history,” said Andrew Robinson, CEO of the Nisga’a Lisims government. “It’s about economic sovereignty, reconciliation ensuring that wealth generated from our lands directly benefits our people and generations to come.”