Cowichan Tribes releases much-awaited statement on unauthorized dump site
Cowichan Tribes released the following statement today regarding an unauthorized dump on Indian Road in North Cowichan:
“Pollution and contamination of reserve land is a generational, systemic, and national problem. The tools to combat the pollution of reserve lands are primarily under federal jurisdiction, including the Indian Act and the Indian Reserve Waste Disposal Regulations.
“However, the Government of Canada is reluctant to prosecute polluters.
“For many years, Cowichan Tribes has been deeply concerned regarding illegal dumping of garbage, construction and industrial waste, and potentially contaminated materials on our reserve lands and the environmental impacts of these activities.
(Submitted photo, Oct. 7, 2025)
“Since 2010, the Indian Road site in question has been subject to ongoing efforts by Cowichan Tribes to have the unlicensed timber and gravel removal and unauthorized dumping stopped and offenders held responsible.
“These actions include repeatedly issuing cease and desist letters to both the individual coordinating these activities and companies participating in the dumping, as well as meetings and site visits with federal representatives from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Health Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to request assistance and collaboration.
“However, there have been significant limitations to the actions Cowichan Tribes has been able to take without the support and enforcement of senior levels of government.
"The authority for enforcement and remediation of these parcels of land where the dumping has occurred has always been under Canada and the Indian Act. The lots are excluded from the Cowichan Tribes Land Code and remain under the jurisdiction of Canada.
“The Government of Canada owes ongoing duties to Cowichan Tribes and its Citizens to continue to work in good faith with Cowichan Tribes to resolve such outstanding grievances with respect to lands matters.
“Since 2021, Cowichan Tribes has cooperated the Province of B.C.’s investigation of the site. We look forward to meeting with Ministry officials to continue working together.
“Cowichan Tribes is pleased to see the site finally get the attention it deserves. It is our hope that the Federal government will now fulfill its long overdue responsibility to take action to address the site.”
Sixmountains.ca first reported on Oct. 27, 2025, that the Ministry of Environment had issued a pollution prevention order to James Anthony Peter related to an unauthorized landfill on Cowichan Tribes' Indian Road reserve. Since then, The Times Colonist, Global TV and CHEK News have reported on the issue.
Earlier articles by sixmountains.ca:
— Canadian government issues two cease-and-desist orders, including to Cowichan Tribes, related to unauthorized landfill https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/e28a3d8c-201c-416c-bf15-ca130a9c7916
— ‘Unauthorized landfill’ on Cowichan Tribes reserve thought to be two decades in the making: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/a35e0303-83a9-4242-b398-2b460610ef7d
— Dump truck driver says ‘everything and anything’ went into waste site on Cowichan Tribes reserve: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/e93bd147-4598-4838-ae9b-3b0166dd4c7e
— Pollution prevention order targets ‘unauthorized’ waste dump site on Cowichan Tribes reserve: https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/fdaaf885-11e9-432e-9041-aa3c4f965a5e
Subscribe free to sixmountains.ca. More than 99,000 unique visitors.
Consider a donation to local, in-depth reporting.
— Larry Pynn, Nov. 10, 2025
