Where: Tourism Tofino When: July 14, 5–8 PM What: A letter writing campaign to demand the rescission of mineral exploration permits in the ḥaaḥuułi of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ

The BC provincial government has granted over 30 mineral exploration permits to Imperial Metals in the Tranquil Creek watershed — inside Tla-o-qui-aht territory. This came after two years of the Nation stating clearly and repeatedly that mining is not permissible here. The permits were issued anyway.

The proposed work includes 22 drill sites, three helipads, and six trenches — inside a Tribal Park the Tla-o-qui-aht People have declared to protect this place for the long term. And the company behind it is Imperial Metals, responsible for the 2014 Mount Polley disaster, when a tailings pond breach sent 25 million cubic metres of mining waste into BC waterways. It remains the largest mining disaster in the province's history.

Free, prior, and informed consent isn't a courtesy — it's law, under UNDRIP, which BC has adopted provincially. Two years of documented engagement produced a clear answer: no. Issuing these permits anyway is a direct violation of the rights of the Tla-o-qui-aht People as rightful titleholders of this unceded territory.

This is where you come in.

Join us on July 14 to write a letter to your MLA, the Premier, the Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, and the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. We'll have everything you need — paper, pens, envelopes, stamps, letter guidelines, and a few different templates depending on what angle you want to write from:

• Sovereignty & consent — grounded in UNDRIP and FPIC

• Environmental risk — grounded in the 2014 Mount Polley disaster

• For kids — simple, values-based

You don't need to be an expert in any of this to write a letter that matters. A few honest sentences about why this concerns you is enough. Letters are part of the public record — they carry weight, and they last.

Snacks and drinks will be there too. Come for twenty minutes or stay for three hours.

RSVP on Facebook →

hišukʔiš cawak — everything is one, interconnected. What happens in the Tranquil Creek watershed doesn't stay there.