Shawn Bell - Wawatay News

Wahgoshig First Nation’s attempt to have the courts stop a gold mining company from exploring on its traditional lands was delayed on a conflict of interest claim Dec 1.
Wahgoshig and Solid Gold Resources was back in court Dec. 7 to determine whether the company has an obligation to consult and accommodate Wahgoshig before exploring for resources on traditional land.

Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner has slammed the provincial government over its woodland caribou conservation efforts.
In his 2010-2011 environment report, Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller criticized Ontario’s inadequate monitoring of caribou populations and the lack of public engagement on caribou management plans. He noted that public backlash against caribou conservation efforts, especially from the forestry sector, was often led by a lack of information on caribou populations and what conservation efforts mean.

Rifts in the Matawa First Nations’ opposition to mining in the Ring of Fire were on display Nov. 23 as Webequie First Nation held a press conference to announce that Matawa does not speak for the community.
Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse presented a community position statement calling for companies interested in developing the Ring of Fire to negotiate directly with the community, not through organizations such as Matawa.

While the investigation into the tragic plane crash in North Spirit Lake that claimed the lives of four people continues, police have released names of the passengers and pilot involved in the crash.
The deceased have been identified as: Martha Campbell, a 38 year old female from Winnipeg, Manitoba; Colette Eisinger, a 39 year old female from Winnipeg, Manitoba; Ben Van Hoek, a 62 year old male from Carmen, Manitoba; and Fariborz Abasabady, a 41 year old male who was the pilot.

Fort Severn and Sandy Lake now feature new Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services stations, after ribbon cutting ceremonies on Jan. 11.
The stations were funded by partnerships between the federal and provincial governments. For the Fort Severn station the federal government contributed over $1.2 million, while the provincial government contributed over $1.1 million. In Sandy Lake the total cost of $2.1 million was split between the two levels of government.