Deadline looms for Ross River staking rules

The deadline is just six weeks away and there's still no deal yet with the Yukon's Ross River Dena Council.

Last year, the Yukon Court of Appeal changed the way mineral staking and exploration work can be done on unsettled lands in Ross River Dena territory. The First Nation is one of three in the territory that has not signed a land claims settlement.

The court says the government has to agree with the Dena Council on which lands in the Ross River area are open to staking. It also has to work out a process for consultation with the First Nation before exploration work begins on a claim.

The government was given a year to come up with the deal, but it held off on talks with the Dena Council while it appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal and negotiations only recently began with the First Nation.

Now the government has until December  27 to work out the new agreement.

But some are concerned that the deadline won’t be met, and the government will instead impose a moratorium on staking in the area.

“People that I’ve spoken to in the industry have told me that a moratorium on staking in the Ross River traditional territory is being considered by this government as a possible option to meet the court's ruling,” said Klondike Liberal MLA Sandy Silver in the legislature Wednesday.

“It would be very unfortunate if it came to this,” Silver said. “However, given the government's inability to show any forward progression with the First Nation, [this] is cause for very much concern.”

Lands minister, Scott Kent, says there’s no reason for concern. “Discussions are underway at that table. I'm not going to speculate about those discussions on the floor of this house.”

Kent refused to rule out a moratorium. But, he says talks with the Ross River Dena Council are continuing and the government plans to meet the deadline.