B.C. First Nations raise alarm over Chilcotin River landslide risk

First Nations in British Columbia’s central Interior are sounding the alarm over landslide risk along the same stretch of the Chilcotin River where a massive slide blocked the waterway for several days in the summer of 2024.

The Tsilhqot’in National Government issued a statement saying a geotechnical report commissioned by the province after that slide found an “imminent” risk of rockfall into the river that supports several important salmon populations.

A photo shared by the nation shows what it describes as “tension cracks” in the steep slope above the river, with some material apparently starting to break away.

The nation said the emergency task force it convened in 2024 has developed a stabilization plan — but it was “alarmed by recent indications” from B.C. and Ottawa that funding would not be made available before this year’s migration of salmon.

In response, the nation said it will pay for the work itself rather than risk “devastating impacts” for salmon, with an estimated cost of up to $3 million.

Williams Lake First Nation has meanwhile announced the creation of its own emergency planning table in response to the landslide risk and what it describes as “continued inaction” on the part of the B.C. and federal governments.

“For months, we have called on the province and (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) to work with us to plan for this risk, and to protect salmon, people, and our cultural heritage. That has not happened,” Chief Willie Sellars said in the Jan. 13 statement.

Sellars repeated these demands in an interview on Monday, saying senior levels of government should fund work to prevent the slope from failing and give Williams Lake First Nation and other Secwépemc nations a seat at the table.

Assessments have confirmed the slope could fail, the nation said, posing safety risks and potentially damaging cultural and archeological sites.

A statement from B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management said it recognizes the “enormous value” of the local salmon fishery and cultural heritage along the Chilcotin River for Secwépemc and Tsilhqot’in and communities, and it will “continue to work closely” with its partners at all levels to keep people safe.

The province said it “worked side-by-side” with First Nations and groups including the First Nations Fisheries Council during the initial response to the slide “to ensure that their expertise was connected directly into the emergency operations teams.”

“Along with many specialists, engineers, hydrologists and others who worked diligently to assess and respond to the situation, First Nations partners and communities shared their knowledge of the river and contributed greatly to response and recovery efforts,” the provincial statement says.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in an emailed statement that it recognizes the importance of protecting salmon, public safety and Indigenous rights.

“While DFO does not have a lead role in emergency preparedness or landslide risk mitigation, the department is engaged where fish and fish habitat are affected,” it reads. “DFO will continue to engage with Indigenous partners and other governments, as appropriate, to share information and support co-ordination within its mandate.”

Sellars said his community has been left out of the emergency task force convened by the Tsilhqot’in government in response to the July 2024 slide.

“We have tried to work collaboratively with the Tsilhqot’in National Government, but those efforts have been thoroughly rebuffed,” Sellars says in the statement.

“Out of necessity we have created the Secwépemc Chilcotin River Emergency Table. We need to carefully plan and act now in advance of a disaster.”

Sellars said in an interview that his nation has been rebuffed, because Tsilhqot’in National Government does not want to acknowledge the area has overlap involving multiple nations.

“We want to move quickly and in collaboration and unity,” Sellars said. “We want to be able to give our input and advice … and by not having us at the table, it delays any work that needs to be done.”

A spokesperson for the Tsilhqot’in National Government did not directly respond to a question about the claim it had rebuffed the other nation, only to say its press release expressing concern about the lack of government action spoke for itself.

The statement issued Jan. 15 says the nation has engaged provincial and federal authorities to start permitting for its planned mitigation work, which is set to include manual scaling and targeted trim blasting along the slope in question.

The stabilization plan was developed by the emergency task force that includes provincial and federal representatives, among others, the nation says.

The Tsilhqot’in government is “fully committed to consulting all impacted First Nations along the Fraser River who depend on these salmon,” it adds.

The statement from Williams Lake says all Secwépemc communities have been invited to participate in the newly formed planning table, and invitations would also be extended to the province, Ottawa and the Tsilhqot’in National Government.

Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation Chief Hank Adams expressed support for the table, saying it brings the nations together to plan ahead of a “preventable disaster.”

“The rights and title of the Secwépemc … at Farwell Canyon continue to be ignored, and that must change,” Adams says in the statement.

The slide in July 2024 happened about 22 kilometres upstream from the Farwell Canyon bridge, not far from the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers.

It dammed the Chilcotin River for several days, triggering flood warnings and evacuation orders for areas near the waterways.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press