The Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc chief says the minority owner of Ajax saying the project is not dead may be an attempt for political support.

Rosanne Casimir says the statement from Abacus Mining comes with a federal election looming, new leadership for Tk’emlúps as of last year and an election coming for the Skeetchestn Indian Band.

“I know that we had many of our members who sat on the panel and were a part of that review process. The biggest thing is it’s in the wrong place. It’s too close to the city, there’s too much irreparable damage that could be done to permanently not only to surrounding lands but also Kamloops in general.”

Casimir says however that, like the Skeetchestn Band, her council stands behind the decision of its members, that the mine is too close to an urban area.