Marten Falls, Webequie set up blockade in Ring of Fire
Marten Falls and Webequie established a blockade Jan. 18 on the Ring of Fire to draw attention to their concerns.
February 4, 2010: Volume 37 #3, Page A10
“The purpose of this action is to draw attention to our concerns of what is happening here in our territory,” said Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias Jan. 20 during the blockade on Koper Lake, which is located about 128 kilometres north of Marten Falls. “Where I’m coming from when I do this is through the clan system of our original Algonkian nation. We’re coming from the clans that were residing in this area and the Achneepineskum (family) who lived here for centuries. We have records of them living here for five-six generations.”
Moonias said some of the exploration companies who have set up in the Koper Lake and McFaulds Lake area “are not too forthcoming in doing business” with his community of about 280 on-reserve band members.
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“What we’d like to do is get the airstrip built and establish our camps there and provide services ourselves to the exploration companies that work here,” Moonisa said. “This will eliminate damage to the two lakes that are being used here as landing strips for the last seven years. They have sunk machines here and they have done outrageous acts here – last fall they used a helicopter to break ice here with a log and just yesterday we learned they are trying to build a (landing) strip here on the bog, the reason being they are trying to avoid this action here so they can continue coming here. They are trying to avoid this blockade by establishing this air strip on the string bog.”
Moonias said the companies do not have permits to construct landing strips on the string bog or roads to the nearby airstrip, which was being built by the community until it was stopped due to environmental concerns.
“The only permit you are allowed under the old mining act is to do exploration, not to build permanent structures,” Moonias said.
Noront Resources Ltd. announced Jan. 18 it supports the actions of the Marten Falls at the Ring of Fire.
“We are very concerned that our community partners feel their only recourse is to deny logistical access to the ice strip at Kopper Lake to all companies in the Ring of Fire,” said Wesley Hanson, Noront’s president and CEO. “It is our understanding the events that precipitated this denial of service were not due to any specific action on the part of Noront, however, as the only exploration company currently active in the Ring of Fire, Noront is inconvenienced by this action.
Noront has respected and honoured MFFN by signing an agreement compensating them for exploration work we’ve completed on their traditional lands. We have undertaken several initiatives regarding education and youth within the MFFN community and we remain committed to building a strong and stable relationship in the future. We are therefore not, at this time, taking any action to limit the protest.
“We will adjust our exploration effort accordingly and we do not believe that this action will limit or otherwise disrupt our development plans at McFauld’s Lake. The denial of service, to our knowledge, does not limit our ability to continue active work programs in the area. We remain committed to maintaining a close working relationship with MFFN and the other communities in the Ring of Fire. I have contacted Chief Moonias to advise him that while we consider the denial of service at Koper Lake to be unfair to Noront, we will abide by the denial of service.”
 Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias speaks with the media during the blockade. -Rick Garrick - Wawatay News |
Hanson said Noront supports Marten Falls’ efforts to establish an airstrip in the Koper Lake area.
“We support both communities in wanting to have a say in infrastructure development into the Ring of Fire,” Hanson said.
“We think that is very important that all the communities that are going to be impacted are properly consulted by mining communities working in the area. That is what Noront has focused on – making sure the communities are aware of Noront’s plans and Noront’s vision for the future and what Noront plans to develop.”
Hanson said his company has found old fuel caches in the Ring of Fire area.
“We have actually undertaken cleaning up of those at our own cost,” Hanson said.
A Ministry of the Environment spokesperson said no significant environmental concerns were discovered during a spring 2009 visit to some of the Ring of Fire exploration sites.
“We will be participating in an inter-ministerial education and outreach session for exploration companies to be held in mid-Feb. 2010,” said Kate Jordan, communications branch, Ministry of the Environment, in an e-mail reply. “Natural Resources, Labour, and Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, Environment Canada, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the local Health Unit and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority have expressed an interest in participating as well.”
“Following the education and outreach session, the ministry is also planning inspections of some of the larger exploration camps and will continue to work with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry and the Ministry of Natural Resources to ensure proper care and control is maintained as it relates to exploration activities on Crown Land.”
Moonias said Noront had agreed to help the community set up a partnership business venture once the nearby airstrip is completed.
“We want to own the camps and then we employ the people,” Moonias said. “We think that will be more equitable since this is our area.”
Moonias said his community began working on the airstrip this past fall, but the project has been stalled due to environmental concerns.
“Meanwhile the companies here are continuing their business, everybody is continuing their business,” Moonias said.
“Meanwhile, we are sitting around doing nothing because of this closure.”
Moonias said the companies have likely caused more environmental damage with their sewage, grey-water, oil spills and road clearing.
“We still have photos here,” Moonias said about the sewage, greywater and oil spills.
Moonias said his community is looking for a forum to discuss the issues with the companies and the province.
“The airport must be completed soon to stop the environmental damage being done with the constant use of the lakes,” Moonias said. “The camp development at the airport must proceed.”
Noront stated it has been actively canvassing the local First Nations communities and the provincial government to initiate round table negotiations between industry, First Nations leaders and provincial government ministries to establish a long term, viable development plan that brings the maximum benefit to the most people in the Ring of Fire area.
The Ring of Fire is considered one of the largest potential mineral reserves in Ontario, covering more than 1.5 million hectares by some estimates. More than 35 junior and intermediate mining and exploration companies are now active in the Ring of Fire, making it the recent hotbed of mining activity in the Far North.
“Right now, mining activities are superseding the protection of ecological and cultural values,” said Anna Baggio of CPAWS Wildlands League in a Dec. 2009 press release.
“There is very little government oversight, no environmental assessment process, and no mechanism for First Nation control.”
CPAWS Wildlands League, Ecojustice and Mining Watch Canada are concerned development in the Ring of Fire is exploding due to inadequate control under the Mining Act, calling the situation a “Wild West free for all.”
“We are hearing reports of 200 fuel drums sinking into the wetlands because they were placed clumsily on bog mats,” Baggio said. “Who will be responsible for cleaning up and restoring these lakes and wetlands.”
The three groups are worried that because claims and leases will be grandfathered into any land use planning processes, local First Nations communities will have little room to manoeuvre.
“There is a complete lack of legal rules guiding activity in the Ring of Fire,” said Ecojustice staff lawyer Justin Duncan.
“First Nations need to lead land use planning over the whole area and rules need to be established to manage development, otherwise the heart of Ontario’s northern boreal could be severely impacted and First Nations will bear the brunt of any long-term harm.”
The three groups want Ontario to immediately withdraw lands in the watersheds affected by the Ring of Fire exploration projects, outside of the areas already claimed, so First Nations can work with the government to create an ecosystem-based land use plan and gain control over the implementation of industrial activities.
“The impact of mining activity in this region will have a legacy that will last hundreds of years into the future and there is the potential for irrevocable harm,” said Ramsey Hart, MiningWatch Canada’s program co-ordinator. “We have this opportunity, at this juncture, to do it right, with proper planning, environmental controls, and consent and accommodation of First Nations. This is an opportunity we can’t afford to lose.”
Moonias said his community members need training for resource-industry jobs.
“We need a training regime in place so we can train our people so they can start working here too,” Moonias said.
Moonias is also concerned about the staking of an access corridor south through Nakina by some of the exploration companies.
“We wanted the access road to come to the Albany River,” Moonias said, explaining his community has been working on their access road for the past 10 years. “In fact, we had built one bridge on the river and come a little ways there building it. If the corridor is built where we don’t want it, our road is not going to happen because the government and environmental people will only allow one corridor. We want the corridor to come through our area so we can get that access road and also get the benefits that will (come) when this corridor is built.”
Moonias said community members would benefit for generations to come if the corridor is built according to his community’s needs.
The blockade is supported by four other First Nations in the area: Long Lake #58, Ginoogaming, Eabametoong and Aroland.
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It's sickening, and
It's sickening, and sad, to see how these companies still only regard money as their driving force, trying to keep the shareholders happy with no regard for the environment or the original people. Hopefully the doors can still be shut by the First Nations. We are all too familiar with dealing with the white man and foreign governments. Perhaps an equitable payment should be demanded, up front, that will make the community members as rich as the companies who are poised to prosper from this development. They know how much they have to gain from mining in this region, and after all these years, they are still trying to offer trinkets and beads to our people.
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