ODDS’N’SODS — The grab for Ursus Creek

Ursus Creek is a major tributary of Bedwell River in the Clayoquot Sound area of Vancouver Island.

Between the fall of 1938 and the early days of the First World War, there was a gold rush to Bedwell River. Two small mines were developed which, between them, produced about 8,000 oz. before being closed as a result of war-time conditions. The valley of Ursus Creek was subjected to prospecting activity at the time, and one property, which was staked on narrow, gold-bearing veins, is still in good standing.

Upper Bedwell River, where the two producers were situated, is in Strathcona Park. And although the area was removed from the park’s boundaries in 1987, the government of the time succumbed to pressure from Conservationists and restored it to the area in 1990.

The late 1980s saw a revival of interest in showings on the Ursus, with a consortium, consisting of Pacific Sentinel Gold Corp. and other juniors, staking a 200-unit group of claims and carrying out drilling and other exploration. Results of this program, as reported in the George Cross Newsletter of Feb. 14, 1990, showed intersections grading up to 0.27 oz. gold per ton across 5.9 ft. and 0.33 oz. across 4.3 ft.

The report stated: “Pacific Sentinel Gold Corp. has renegotiated its Ursus Creek option and joint-venture agreement with Pezgold Resource Corp. and Trans International Gold Corp. Pezgold and Trans International can jointly earn a 55% interest . . . by spending $800,000 on the project by Jan. 31, 1991.”

However, the program was never carried out and the claims were allowed to lapse. Why was it abandoned?

No doubt, various factors were involved, including the election of the province’s New Democratic Party (NDP) government in 1991 and the general slump in mining investment at that time. Some of the blame must go to the previous Social Credit government of William Vander Zalm, which restored Bedwell River to parkland status, as mentioned above. Moreover, the decision to do so sent a negative signal that there was little support for British Columbia’s mining industry.

In 1993, the NDP government instituted the Clayoquot Sound Land Use Compromise which designated about a third of the land mass contiguous to Clayoquot Sound as “Protected Areas.” As such, they became closed to mining activity. Another third was given designations that are comparatively ambiguous.

For drainage purposes, Ursus Creek was designated as a Special Management Area for wildlife management. A committee, consisting of representatives from various interest groups, was formed to determine what this entailed.

In the meantime, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, which declined to participate on the Ursus Creek Committee, has been pushing its own agenda. The committee is circulating a color brochure which proclaims: “Protect Ursus Valley — Ahousaht Territory.” (The Ahousaht Indian band also has representatives on the Ursus committee.)

Something similar took place in the case of Meares Island. While the committee process was in progress, the Opitsaht Indians and their preservationist friends declared the island to be a “tribal park” (a designation they had invented) and obtained a court injunction to have logging halted. The government fell prey to this tactic and, regardless of the fact that minerals had been extracted intermittently on Meares Island since the late 19th century, closed it to mining as well. Rather than proceed with a court challenge to establish the legality of the Indians’ claim to the island, the present government has conducted negotiations which appear to have given the Indians veto powers over anything that takes place in this area.

It is highly uncertain whether reason will prevail in the case of Ursus Creek.

— Walter Guppy, a resident of Tofino, B.C., is a frequent contributor.