Water flowing from the dam area into Dene territory protected under agreements, says Bill Erasmus
Dene leaders in the N.W.T. are calling for an immediate halt on construction of the Site C Dam in northern B.C., saying it violates treaty rights on their traditional homeland.
In a news release, Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus said the federal government has an obligation to respect land agreements with the Dene, including the protection of water flowing from the dam area into Dene territory.
MUSKRAT FALLS, Labrador—A Newfoundland and Labrador judge has ordered a journalist to appear before the court for a contempt hearing in connection with the ongoing occupation and protest of Muskrat Falls.
The subpoena order was issued Monday against 22 people, including Justin Brake, a journalist with online news agency The Independent, who are currently occupying the Muskrat Falls construction offices of Nalcor, the Crown corporation behind the massive hydro-electric project.
The MP for St. John's East has a solution to concerns over the higher levels of toxic methylmercury expected from flooding of the Muskrat Falls reservoir: eat less fish.
NDP Leader Earle McCurdy said in an interview with NTV that government should be making it mandatory to clear vegetation and soil from the flooding site at the hydroelectric project, saying "if we can't afford to clear the reservoir, we can't afford to do the project."
Protesters broke into the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric site in Labrador and formed a blockade around it, Nalcor Energy confirmed Saturday.
Nalcor spokeswoman Karen O’Neill said protesters and vehicles entered the work site near Happy Valley-Goose Bay Saturday afternoon, and a blockade of around 150 people formed outside the main entrance.
OTTAWA, Oct. 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde will visit Treaty 8 territory threatened by the proposed Site C Dam in northern British Columbia. On Saturday, October 22 on behalf of the AFN, National Chief will stand with Treaty 8 First Nations in opposing the project. Treaty 8 First Nations are currently taking legal action to overturn federal approvals of the controversial hydroelectric project.
The protests began Saturday in Labrador, and expanded Monday into government offices
Nine people arrested during protests at the Muskrat Falls site in Labrador were released with conditions Monday.
The six women and three men are charged with disobeying a court order to leave the site, where they were protesting the planned reservoir flooding at the hydroelectric project.
While the protesters have been ordered to stay clear of the entrance to the worksite, they are allowed to be on the other side of the road.
As many Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving, Idle No More demonstrators gathered in Yonge-Dundas Square on Monday said they have "little to be thankful for" and urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to keep his election promises to protect Indigenous rights and the environment.
Becky Big Canoe, co-founder of Water is Life: Coalition for Water Justice, said while Trudeau has vowed to support Indigenous people across the country, he's already reneging on some election promises.
Oct 10, 2016 - Canada’s hydropower producers cheered in June when the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico committed their countries to raising the portion of continental electricity generated by clean-energy sources to 50 per cent by 2025, from the current 37-per-cent level.
Indigenous leaders and activists who oppose pipelines and other natural resource development projects, such as the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG project recently approved by the federal government, say they are not being heard by the federal government.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, who is president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said there is a distinct difference between listening, and hearing, and that the federal government is failing at the latter when it comes to the concerns of indigenous people.
