Chiefs fear virus in work camps threat to clans

Wet'suwet'en female chiefs are calling for oil and gas work to be deemed non-essential, a measure they believe would help protect their community members from being exposed to COVID-19.

In an open letter to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, the chiefs, who represent five clans, say they have “grave concern” about the continuation of three Coastal GasLink work camps in their territories, which comprise 22,000 square kilometres of land between Burns Lake and Witset.

The province issued guidelines for industrial camps in March and the camps have been allowed to operate throughout the pandemic.

The chiefs fear that camps don't have the capacity to isolate workers who test positive and they are sent home instead, which leaves elders and other community members vulnerable.

“They are all just worried sick about our community and what's happening,” said Sleydo' Molly Wickham, spokeswoman for the Gidimt'en checkpoint and one of the letter's signatories.

She said they have heard from community members and workers of two confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Camp 9A on Unist'ot'en territory, but there could be more.

“This is the very thing we wanted to prevent when we continued to make noise about our concerns about these man camps being considered essential services when they're breeding grounds, spaces like these, where COVID can easily spread,” said Howilhkat Freda Huson, speaking from the Unist'ot'en healing centre. She also signed the letter.

Although there have been calls for major projects with worker camps to be shut down since the beginning of the pandemic, Sleydo' said the decision to send the letter stemmed from news of an outbreak of more than 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19 tied to the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat.

“That's when people started getting really scared and wanted something done — then we started getting cases within our own community.

“There's too much at risk. Nobody wants to lose a family member or a loved one, or to have them in an ICU hundreds and hundreds of miles away,” she said.

Workers, many of whom are transient, who frequent businesses in small communities like Houston and Burns Lake are also a concern, along with those who are living in town and shuttling between their accommodations and work sites.

Sleydo' and Howilhkat said they have seen trucks full of workers who are unmasked, and they have been approached by workers, security personnel and RCMP officers who are not wearing masks.

“A lot of them are going into the community, in our local communities. It creates a huge risk to our people,” Sleydo' said.

The chiefs want to see Henry take action to protect Indigenous communities — in particular their elders — by postponing oil and gas work on their territories until it is safe.