Wabauskang First Nation challenging mining developments in Red Lake District without consultation
April 2, 2012 - 9:40pm | by brianbeaton
Government Inaction Endangers Mining
in Ontario’s Red Lake District
Wabauskang, Ontario
April 2, 2012
For Immediate Release
Wabauskang First Nation, whose traditional territory includes the rich mining reserves surrounding Red Lake, Ontario, has decided it can no longer standby while mining companies and the Ontario government benefit from mining in its territory and its serious concerns are ignored.
“We’re fed-up,” said Wabauskang First Nation Chief Leslie Cameron. “We’ve been patient and reasonable, but we can’t continue to allow Ontario to approve new mines and continued mining while we have serious outstanding questions and our community is not benefitting.”
“We’ve reached out to Ontario to ask for a meaningful discussion and have been ignored,” said Chief Cameron. “Ontario seems more concerned about approving mining company applications than respecting our rights.”
Based on last summer’s Keewatin court decision, Wabauskang is concerned that Ontario may not even have jurisdiction to issue permits and licences in Wabauskang’s territory. Wabauskang is also very concerned that a central premise of Treaty 3 that there would be a sharing of benefits with Treaty 3 First Nations when lands were developed is being ignored by government and mining companies.
"Ontario won't even talk to us about what jurisdiction they have in our territory," said Chief Cameron, "We have raised our concerns about environmental impacts and how the mines will impact our future generations yet they continue to issue permits and licences to mining companies. We wonder whether those permits and licences are legitimate. And when it comes to revenue-sharing, companies and government have to step up. We have been more than reasonable considering the billions of dollars worth of resources that have been taken from our territory."
Wabauskang has serious outstanding issues with several companies including Rubicon Minerals, Goldcorp, Northern Iron and Union Gas. “These companies are operating in Wabauskang’s territory without our support,” said Chief Cameron. “We’d prefer to workout reasonable arrangements with them, but as long as Ontario keeps on giving them permits and licences over our objections, they have little incentive to take us seriously. We see how other First Nations dealt with Solid Gold Resources and Platinex--we don’t want to go down the same road, but we can’t continue to be ignored, something has to give.”
Chief Cameron and other Wabauskang First Nation members will be attending the Ontario Prospectors Association’s 2012 Northwestern Ontario Mines & Minerals Symposium in Thunder Bay on April 3rd and 4th to raise awareness about their concerns and the consequences of Ontario’s inaction.
Contact information:
Chief Leslie Cameron, Wabauskang First Nation, Cell: 807-464-0987