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APRIL 7th, 2008 CITIZENS'
INQUIRY INTO THE IMPACTS |
IN THIS ISSUE: |
| 1)
MINISTER OF NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT AND MINES REFUSES INVITATION TO THE URANIUM
CITIZENS' INQUIRY 1) MINISTER OF NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT AND MINES REFUSES INVITATION TO THE URANIUM CITIZENS' INQUIRY Dear Mr. Erlichman, Thank you for your invitation of March 24, 2008, to attend one or more of the public hearings regarding the Citizens' Inquiry in to the Impacts of the Uranium Cycle. Although I am unable to confirm my attendance at this time, I welcome the opportunity to provide you with information on this issue. As you are probably aware, uranium mining has a long history in the province of Ontario. Over the past 55 years, health, safety and environmental controls have greatly evolved and modern mining practices are much different from what they were in the past. Today, uranium mining is carefully managed and heavily regulated. Modern exploration for uranium deposits involves the use of geophysical instruments or drilling, which have very little impact on the environment. To be clear, there is currently no uranium mining planned in southeastern Ontario. The Sharbot Lake area project is a mineral exploration project, and mineral exploration projects have limited potential for impact and risk to the environment. It may also interest you to know that the federal government, through the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, has the primary responsibility for regulating and approving uranium mining development throughout Canada should a uranium exploration project reach the development stage. Once again, thank you for the invitation and please accept my best wishes for the success of your event. Sincerely, 2) CCAMU RESPONDS TO MINISTER GRAVELLE April 6, 2008 Ministry
of Northern Development and Mines Dear Minister Gravelle, Thank you for your letter responding to our invitation to attend the Citizens' Inquiry into the Impacts of the Uranium Cycle, dated March 31, 2008. Since the
inquiry is already underway and will end on April 22, we would appreciate
an indication as to when you might be able to make a commitment to attend.
CCAMU recognizes that there may be changes in current mining practices. We recognize that as citizens and government became aware of the impact of mines, legislation was adopted in Part VII of the Mining Act requiring both rehabilitation and financial assurance, to hold companies accountable and to reduce the impact on the environment. We recognize that the legacy of abandoned mines in Ontario was created by the assumption that there was neither need nor responsibility to protect the environment, human health and safety. We understand that the taxpayers of Ontario are covering the cost of millions of dollars of rehabilitation and that funds are inadequate to address the impact on the environmental pollution, and health and safety. We recognize that legislation is needed to bring about responsible and accountable mining practices and there has been some progress in mining practices. However, our concern is about uranium exploration and mining in our watershed, here in eastern Ontario. Many of our coalition live in the area, and we know that there is not currently a uranium mine near Sharbot Lake. We understand that uranium mining is federally regulated and as such, it is not within your jurisdiction to comment on or use extreme qualifiers for the way it is managed or regulated, nor have we asked you to do so. CCAMU is concerned about accidents and violations, such as in projects in Saskatchewan and the United States. Despite being one of the largest and most technically advanced uranium mining companies, a subsidiary of Cameco has recently been cited for an "alarming" number of environmental violations at its "state of the art" uranium mine in Wyoming. An investigation report by Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality details several "long-standing" environmental concerns at the mine. Among them are delayed restoration of groundwater, "routine" spills, and a seriously inadequate bond to cover restoration. A copy of the investigation report is available upon request. Because these issues are federal jurisdiction, we realize that they are outside your authority and responsibility. Some of our concerns involve other provincial Ministries, such as the Clean Water Act, which does not protect private wells. And other issues and concerns do fall within your role as Minister of Northern Development and Mines, including exploration for uranium, which is the stage we are at, here in Sharbot Lake. We know that claim staking, prospecting and exploration and development of uranium is one of the primary purposes of the mining Act. CCAMU is concerned that exploration and mining is considered to be the best use of land, without first considering other land uses, such as residential, farming and recreational land use. We are concerned that there are no considerations given to the current use of land and the impact on people and community. There has been no consideration for the resolutions passed by fourteen local municipalities, counties and cities from Kingston through to Ottawa, related to exploration for uranium. Other concerns include: that the second purpose of the Mining Act - to minimize the impact on the environment and human health through the rehabilitation of mining lands - does not consider exploration as an impact; that you express a predetermined standpoint - that there are 'limited potential impact and risk'- prior to input from the public, including First Nations and other stakeholders; and that you state that exploration for uranium, such as drilling and blasting, has limited potential impact and risk. Our research of other jurisdictions and information does not support this statement. We question why your ministry does not recognize, is not aware of or refuses to consider, information and regulations followed by other jurisdictions related to exploration for uranium. We know, too, that the Ontario Mining Act does not regulate exploration for uranium at the preliminary stage. It is concerning that there is no public consultation and no regulations in place prior to exploration for uranium and only 'public notice' is required at the Advanced Exploration stage; that there is no consideration given to the cumulative impact of explorations that have gone on north of Sharbot Lake for over thirty years; that more than a hundred holes have already been drilled and that blasting, surface stripping and trenching has occurred without being monitored by MNDM; that there is no requirement to restore land and that drill holes have not been plugged; that site visits are informal and that no report is filed; and that there is no permit for taking of bulk samples after a lease has been issued. We urge you to attend at least one of the Citizens' Inquiry forums (see below for remaining locations), to gain a better understanding of the concerns that are expressed being expressed. These opportunities are not for consultation. We simply want you to hear how people in our community, and beyond, have been impacted by the exploration for uranium and what those impacts are. The times for each are 1:00 to 5:00pm and 6:00 to 9:00pm. Peterborough,
April 15th Ottawa,
April 22 Sincerely, Wolfe Erlichman 3) CANADIAN ICON COCKBURN TO PREFORM AT BENEFIT By Frank
Armstrong 4) LETTER FROM INTERNATIONAL LAND COALITION'S DIRECTOR TO NORTH FRONTENAC MAYOR 5 April 2008 Mayor Ron
Maguire As the mayor of our Township, you have been elected along with fellow representatives to govern in the interest of the public good. The extent of public opposition to the threat of uranium mining in our area is clearly expressed in the multiple ways in which the community has organized and is expressing its concern. I was very disappointed when I read your Winter 2008 letter. I find it totally unacceptable that you are failing to mobilize the council and the township to further the common interest of preventing prospecting, modernizing the antiquated 1860 mining act and showing active solidarity with the community on this issue. It is not satisfactory that you are monitoring the situation. We are all doing that. It is expected that you will be proactive. While mining may be a provincial and federal responsibility, you are responsible to support the township's interests and can use your political role to put appropriate demands on the other levels of government. I hope to receive a reply in which the township commits itself to a more active role on this matter. While I work in Italy and come to Canada each summer, I will reestablish my permanent residence in Canada in 2008 and be able to more actively engage in the issues in the township, where I have been a property owner and tax payer since 1986. Bruce H.
Moore 5) EVENT CANCELED: OTTAWA SOUTH NDP'S WOMEN'S BREAKFAST We wanted to thank you for your interest in our Women's Breakfast. However, regrettably we must inform you that due to circumstances beyond our control we have to cancel this event. It is our hope to hold a similar function with Senator Lillian Dyck at a later date. Kevin Kinsella. Just Voices, Ottawa's choir of peace, social justice and the environment, is presenting an Earth Day concert featuring Jenny Whiteley, Juno-award winning singer/songwriter. Date: Tuesday,
April 22nd Net proceeds from this concert will go to groups working for a moratorium on uranium mining in Ontario. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Please check the website justvoices.ca for details on getting advance tickets. http://www.justvoices.ca
Taken for the NIRS website. A Simple Statement On Nuclear Power and Climate Change We're getting a little tired hearing nuclear industry lobbyists and pro-nuclear politicians allege that environmentalists are now supporting nuclear power as a means of addressing the climate crisis. We know that's not true, and we're sure you do too. In fact, using nuclear power would be counterproductive at reducing carbon emissions. As Amory Lovins of Rocky Mountain Institute points out, "every dollar invested in nuclear expansion will worsen climate change by buying less solution per dollar..." The simple statement below will be sent to the media and politicians whenever they misstate the facts. We hope you and your organization will join us and sign on in support here. "We do not support construction of new nuclear reactors as a means of addressing the climate crisis. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power." To sign the petition go to, http://www.nirs.org/petition2/index.php Both Canadians and Americans can sign this petition. This in from Conny Rennebarth, I received this email from Yvonne Devine, in Moncton: "Just an update from the Province of N.B. As you may have heard, on March 17, 2008, the city of Moncton unanimously passed a motion to request the Province ban uranium mining in N.B. (last year they had requested a ban on exploration any land in the outskirts of Greater Moncton, to no avail). MLA John Betts made a motion in the N.B. Legislature to have a moratorium on any further exploration. On March 30, the Southeast Chapter of the Conservation Council of N.B. held a public information forum at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton. Close to 700 people form the southeast region attended. There were excellent presentations, everything from Uranium 101 and dangers from uranium tailings to the Mining Act, Health Risks and implications for water. We also showed the video "Uranium Mining: One Community's Struggle" that was filmed in Ottawa. People were shocked and concerned and rightly so. The audience was given green post cards to fill out and address to their MLA - the Chapter will deliver them. The Chapter will continue to educate the people and urge them to stand up against this threat." This update comes to us via Gloria Morrison. Nova Scotia's uranium "moratorium" is proving to be as leaky and porous as the average tailings dam. Capella/Tripple
Uranium announced on April 1 that results from its diamond drilling program
west of Windsor Forks (part of its large "Titus Project"have
resulted in finds of over 100ppm of uranium. They have now reported these
results as required by Section 74 of the Nova Scotia Mineral Resources
Regulations. After a
delay of many weeks Capella reported their assay results with uranium
concentrations well over the 100ppm stipulated in the regulations. A careful
reading of Capella's news release on the subject: The DNR Monitoring Committee that was hastily pulled together on news of this "find" is almost certainly NOT going to prohibit further drilling in the Titus Project UNLESS they are so instructed by their political masters--i.e. The Minister and the Premier, who are also unlikely to act unless they hear a significant rumbling from the electorate: rodneym@ns.sympatico.ca
and PREMIER@gov.ns.ca Natural
Resources Minister: Honourable David Morse (PC) Environment
Minister: Honourable Mark Parent (PC) On other
uranium-related news, CBC TV will air the Land and Sea programme "Uranium
Ban" on Sunday April 13 at 12:30 p.m. Gillian
'I think I did the right thing' http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=971580 Ardoch Algonquin community leader Bob Lovelace is serving a six month jail sentence for refusing to stop opposing uranium prospecting efforts near Sharbot Lake by the Oakville-based company Frontenac Ventures. Recently, Lovelace wrote a letter to his 12-year-old adoptive daughter, Skye, explaining why he is in jail. We reprint that letter here. Dearest Skye: I received your letter the other day and it made me so happy. Your letter sounded as though you are doing well. I know that Jessica loves you and River very much and will take good care of you. You also have Jack and Mirielle and Lyann and Mitch and Alyson. I worry about you a lot, but I know Grandma and everyone else will be there for you. Your report card made me happy, too. You are doing very well. You improved in a number of subjects and did well in new ones. Of course, if you do more homework and get it done right after school, you would even do better. I am really pleased that you take school seriously and put your best effort into your work. Attitude and effort always pay off. Your poem made me sad. That is because I miss you so much. When I read the poem, I realized how much you miss me and I felt sorry that I have to be away. The poem also made me happy because it reminded me how much I love you and you love me. You are a beautiful, loving daughter and a father couldn't ask for anything better. I hope that you understand why I have had to go to prison. I hope that Jessica and Mirielle have taken time to explain why I made the decisions to challenge the court and ask for a higher standard of justice. As Indian people, we have lost so much of our land and our culture that we simply can't let any more be wasted by greedy people. The mining company wanted to dig up and destroy a very beautiful and abundant part of our land. They would also dump the poisoned water into Crotch Lake, which is the source of clean, fresh water for many people downriver, all the way to Ottawa. This past summer, the Ardoch council told the mining company they couldn't take our land and they had to leave. We put up guards to protect the land and started teaching people about the hazards of uranium mining and about our rights as Indian people. The mining company didn't like this. They said Ontario, the government, had given them permission to drill holes in the land. We said that Ontario couldn't do that because the Canadian Constitution and the highest court in the land has said that Ontario has to talk with Indian people first before mining companies can do their work. We asked important people from Ontario to take responsibility, but they just ignored us. The mining company went to the court house in Kingston and said we owed them $77 million because we would not let them on our lands to drill holes. We told the judge that it was Indian land and about the Constitution and about a promise made by King George III a long time ago in 1763. The judge just waved his hand and said, "That's not important. I don't want to know about the past, I want to know about now." This sounds like a long story, doesn't it? The important part is this: the mining company got the judge to tell us to get off our land and let the mining company drill holes. Algonquin law says that we have a duty to protect the land and the people. This is our homeland and we have no other place in the world to call home. The elders who keep our law said that exploring for uranium is unacceptable. They had seen what had happened to other Indian lands and people. So we said to the judge "no." I said we wouldn't get out of the way and we wouldn't let the mining company drill holes in Mother Earth, estwakimikwe. The mining company got really mad and told the judge that I should be put in prison while they did they work drilling holes. The judge was mad, too, because I had disobeyed his order and he believes that his law is more important than Algonquin law. All this time, Ontario stayed quiet about their responsibility, hoping that no one would notice. I don't like being in prison. It is not nice here and I miss you and River, Michael and Victoria very much. But I think I did the right thing. You children need clean, beautiful land on which to live your lives. The land gives us everything we need and our Indian culture comes from the land. Harold, your adopted grandfather, and I promised each other many years ago that we would fight for the land and people; that we would make sure that the children, you and your children, would have what Kijimanide, the Creator, gave our ancestors. So I hope this helps you understand why I am in prison. I pray every day that I will be home soon, and I know that many other people are praying as well for my release. We will be together again soon, so don't give up hope. I love you. Love Bobby (your Dad) 11) POEM: THE MOTHER'S WATCHING
Get off our land, you are not a band We are of one kind; you have no mind You jest with the mother, now men will you quiver The women will march with stealth of the dark Your homes will be vacant, your children away Now I ask you to whom will you pray Do you think god would ever hold sway? Could the women hold justice, the mother holds them For their allegiance, to the women, runs blood like The band has the land, careful, my white man. Gwyn McCoy 12) DEEP GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY FOR LOW AND INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES This sent in by Dr. Edwards. Attention News Editors: Comments
are invited on Environmental Impact Statement OTTAWA, April 4th The Canadian
Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) and the Canadian Nuclear
Safety Commission (the CNSC) today released for public comment two documents
- the draft Environmental The draft EIS guidelines identify the information needed to examine the potential environmental effects of the proposed project, as well as its requirements for a licence to prepare a site and for construction. After considering public comments, the EIS guidelines will be finalized and provided to Ontario Power Generation. The JRP agreement deals with the establishment of a panel to perform an assessment of the project's environmental impact and of the application for a licence to prepare a site and for subsequent construction - the first of several licences required by the Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its regulations. It includes procedures for appointing the JRP members, the proposed terms of reference (i.e. responsibilities), and process for conducting the review. After taking comments into consideration, the draft agreement will be finalized and the panel will be appointed to review the project. The two documents are available at www.ceaa.gc.ca (Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry number 06-05-17520), at www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca or from the contact mentioned below.) Written comments, in either English or French, on the draft documents must be received no later than June 18, 2008, and be sent to: Deep Geologic
Repository Project To register as an interested party and to be kept informed of activities relating to the panel-review process, provide a full mailing address, an e-mail address or a fax number, to the above contact. A public information session will be held in the area near the project by the Agency and the CNSC in order to give the public the opportunity to learn more about the draft EIS guidelines and JRP agreement for this project. The date and location of this public information session will be posted at www.ceaa.gc.ca and www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca in the near future. About the Project: The project
is a proposal by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to As a pre-requisite to licensing a new deep-geological repository, an environmental assessment (EA) under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act must be conducted before any licensing decision can be made. On June 29, 2007, the Honourable John Baird, federal Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for the Agency, announced the referral of the project to a review panel. About CEAA: The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development. About CNSC: The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect health, safety, security and the environment and to respect Canada's international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. 13) PRESS RELEASE: BEYOND NUCLEAR April 1, 2008 Contact:
Beyond Nuclear A letter from the French nuclear safety watchdog agency and leaked to Greenpeace France has revealed numerous technical errors and inconsistencies at the site of the first European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) to be built in France. The EPR - known as the "Evolutionary Pressurized Reactor" in the U.S. - is an untested, experimental design under construction at Flamanville, France and at Olkiluoto, Finland. The Finnish reactor has already earned notoriety for technical failures, long delays and enormous cost-overruns. The EPR is a product of Areva, the French nuclear giant that is more than 90 percent government-owned. "It's clear that the EPR is turning out to be a nuclear lemon," said Linda Gunter of Beyond Nuclear. "These latest revelations confirm that the rush to expand nuclear energy is a risky enterprise beset by safety shortcuts and motivated by haste and profit." Beyond Nuclear recently released a scathing critique of the French nuclear industry, particularly the monumental radioactive waste problem created by its large nuclear energy infrastructure and polluting reprocessing programs. "It's time to call a halt to nuclear expansion plans in the U.S. and stem what could be a limitless tide of American taxpayer dollars flowing to the French government," Gunter concluded. Ironically, the latest EPR scandal was revealed just as French premier, Nicolas Sarkozy, was touting French nuclear technology to his British counterpart, U.K. prime minister, Gordon Brown. Together, the two leaders have made a pact - the "entente formidable" - to market nuclear energy around the world. The problems in France mirror those that have occurred at the only other EPR construction site - at Olkiluoto in Finland - where delays, cost over-runs and similar technical mistakes with the concrete pour have set the project back at least two years. The Finnish cost over-run is currently estimated at $1.5 billion. Who ultimately pays the bill will likely be contested in court, but French taxpayers are expected to bear the brunt of the costs. In addition, Finnish electricity users will lose billions of Euros because of the delay. Background: 14) ARTICLE: WHO IS BLOCKADING WHOM? April 3, 2008 By Cathy Wills According
to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples (December 2006),
" Canada has not fulfilled its lawful obligations to First Nations
regarding the just settlement of outstanding land claims". 15) ARTICLE: PROBLEMS AT FRENCH NUCLEAR CONSTRUCTION SITE FOR COMPANY SEEKING ONTARIO CONTRACT April 3, 2008 CBC News One of the companies competing to build new nuclear reactors in Ontario has run into trouble with regulators in France. The French
nuclear safety watchdog says there are a number of serious infractions
in the Areva construction of a reactor in northern France - the same type
of reactor it wants to sell to Ontario. The agency says there was inadequate preparatory work before pouring concrete; the concrete base was smaller than promised; and reinforcing rods weren't up to standard. To read the rest of this article go to, http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/04/03/ont-nuclear.html For decades, "uranium" was a dirty word in Nunavut. Then Rob Carpenter offered a deal David Dias, Financial Post Business Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Seated within his suite at the luxurious Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Rob Carpenter, CEO of Kaminak Gold Corp., is struggling to describe the significance of the Arctic mineral deposit his junior mining company has just secured. No matter how hard he tries, he can't do justice to it with mere words. Finally, he hits on another tack: He has a map. Carpenter reaches into his briefcase, pulls out a folded-up page and lays a view of central Nunavut onto the coffee table. Little green triangles - each representing a mineral discovery - litter the geography, attesting to Nunavut's vast potential in minerals such as gold and diamonds. Carpenter, however, draws attention to a cluster of odd-angled shapes representing 250,000 acres of land on which Kaminak has staked its claims. In particular, he points out a tiny quadrangle in the centre of the map. "This little box here," he says. The little box, in reality, is the 18,000-acre Angilak property, Kaminak's prized possession. What makes it unique is that, among all the firm's properties, it is the only one where the land and mineral rights are owned by the Inuit under the Nunavut land claim. Moreover, it's the focus of a ground-breaking deal that makes Vancouver-based Kaminak the first company ever to win rights to drill on Inuit-owned land for a mineral that remains taboo among aboriginal people: uranium. For Carpenter,
the company's January deal with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) - the Inuit
land claims agency - is a shining example of co-operation between private
industry and aboriginal government. It also represents a staggering opportunity
for Kaminak. Angilak, after all, is home to Lac Cinquante, a historical
uranium discovery that, in the early 1980s, was estimated to contain 11.6
million pounds of high-grade uranium oxide. At today's prices, that makes
it worth $870 million, over 40 times Kaminak's market value. Uranium mining bears a shameful legacy in the North. The first mining for the Manhattan Project of the 1940s was conducted in the Northwest Territories, at Great Bear Lake. The radioactive mess left over has been cited for increased cancer rates and for years has fostered deep-rooted distrust in the uranium industry across the Arctic. In recent years, however, concerns over global warming and energy supply have helped to rehabilitate uranium's tarnished image, lifting prices five-fold over the past four years and turning around public opinion, even in Nunavut. It was around a year ago, in February 2007, that Carpenter got an inkling that the uranium exploration ban on Inuit-owned land might be lifted. Prior to co-founding Kaminak in 2005, he'd worked on Baffin Island as the district geologist for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, where he had developed a good rapport with territorial Inuit groups and an intimate understanding of the politics of the North. Armed with these insights, he could sense that change was in the air. Recognizing the potential for uranium development on Angilak - and particularly at Lac Cinquante - Carpenter launched Kaminak on an acquisition spree of mineral rights over 200,000 acres of federal lands surrounding the Inuit territory, as well as the non-uranium rights on Angilak itself. Then, in September 2007, as Carpenter suspected, NTI lifted its ban on uranium exploration. By then, of course, the agency was well aware of Kaminak's interest in the Angilak property, given the company's massive prospecting operation. But Carpenter still had to win NTI's support before Kaminak would be allowed to conduct uranium exploration at Angilak. Meetings were held in November in Yellowknife, to which Carpenter brought Kaminak's offer to the table. "We went to NTI and said we wanted these lands. We stressed our relationships and our history up there." Then Carpenter
dangled an enticing prospect in front of NTI officials. Instead of just
offering them an interest in the development of uranium properties on
their own land, he offered NTI a stake in a new company that would comprise
uranium deposits on both Angilak and on all the federal lands Kaminak
held around the property. The NTI officials liked what they were hearing,
and on Jan. 31 Kaminak announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding
with NTI, allowing work at Lac Cinquante to proceed. Kaminak's shares
shot up 50% on the news. For now, however, the most likely prospect for a uranium mine remains Lac Cinquante. Kivalliq's first task will be determining whether the historical estimates at the property are accurate. Carpenter makes no bones about the risk involved in a play like this. "You've got to be a big boy with a pretty stiff upper lip to invest in junior exploration and mining," he says. "I mean, I don't know if those numbers are real or not, but what we are going to do is re-drill everything ourselves and find out." Paul van
Eeden, co-editor of the Investment Speculator newsletter, agrees that
winning exploration rights at Lac Cinquante was a coup for Kaminak. "Having
historical drill data is an enormous head start." But van Eeden also
cautions that the site's remoteness will make development an expensive
proposition. At minimum, And even if the data holds up at Lac Cinquante, Carpenter says a mine is no slam dunk. NTI continues to consult its membership and reserves the right to block mine development. "For mining companies up North, the No. 1 external risk is First Nations support," says Carpenter. That being said, he believes that, by bringing NTI in as a partner, Kaminak has mitigated the risk. And whether Lac Cinquante proves viable or not, Carpenter is confident about the mining potential in Nunavut. "We're not staking moose pasture. There are green triangles on that map." 17) ARTICLE: STUDENTS SHOW SUPPORT FOR JAILED STUDENT COUNSELLOR The Peterborough Examiner March 28, 2008 Benefit raises money for family of man convicted in uranium mine blockade By NICOLE
RIVA Fleming College students joined together yesterday to show support for a staff member behind bars and raise awareness for his cause. Bob Lovelace,
aboriginal student counsellor at Fleming College, is serving a six-month
sentence for contempt of court for protesting A Day of Action for Bob Lovelace was held at the Sutherland Campus on Brealey Drive yesterday with events from noon until 9 p.m. that included a bake sale, silent auction, petition signing and a barbecue and concert in the evening. Rachel Paris from the Circle of First Nations Students said the group wanted to show support for Lovelace and help raise some money for his family. "Bob wants it to still be focused on the cause," Paris said, "which is to stop uranium mining." Along with the baked treats in the campus foyer were informational articles about uranium mining. "We wanted to get the information out there about the damage of uranium mining," Paris said. The event was co-organized with the college's aboriginal student services, which had been working on an information evening prior to Lovelace's arrest and decided to merge the two causes, said Brent Stonefish, aboriginal student success assistant at the college. "We're trying to help out as much as possible," Stonefish said. The evening
events at the Steele Centre was called A Night of Action Paula Sherman, a Trent University professor who was arrested along with Lovelace but paid a $15,000 fine to avoid jail time because she is a single mother of three children, also addressed the audience about the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation and the issue of uranium mining. "It's not just an aboriginal issue," Stonefish said. "It's not just for us now but for future generations." Ardoch Algonquin First Nation is a non-status group in the Madawaska River watershed area not formally recognized by the federal and provincial governments. John Paul
Hercus 18) ARTICLE: B.C. RULING SPELLS TROUBLE FOR ONTARIO MINING http://www.thestar.com/News/article/410479 By Cameron Smith The McGuinty government has repeatedly slammed the door on First Nations people trying to establish their rights to negotiate development in their territories. This has created a confrontational situation that now threatens to throw mining and logging in the province into limbo. It didn't have to be this way, says Doreen Davies, chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation in Eastern Ontario. The Shabot and the neighbouring Ardoch First Nations have always been ready to negotiate, she says, and with the province refusing to sit down with them, the only option left lies in legal action. An appeal is underway against the jailing of Robert Lovelace, a Queen's University lecturer and an Ardoch nation member sentenced to six months in jail and fined $25,000 for refusing to halt attempts to block drilling for uranium on lands claimed by the two Indian nations. The appeal lawyer, Michael Swindon, says he will argue that the Ontario Appeal Court should follow a B.C. Supreme Court decision delivered last summer that, if followed, would make Ontario's Forestry and Mining Acts inoperable everywhere an Indian land claim exists. The B.C. decision, if adopted, says it is no longer necessary for aboriginal people to prove title to land in order to get control of their territories. When the Constitution was patriated in 1982, a section was added declaring that all aboriginal rights - not just title - were to be recognized and honoured. This means, the B.C. court said, that hunting and fishing rights are enough to give First Nations control over their territories. They don't have to prove title. And if they establish such rights, provincial legislation no longer applies in their territories; only the federal government has jurisdiction to deal with any issues raised within their lands. In effect, provincial legislation goes out the window anywhere there is a land claim. Swindon says he will argue in the Lovelace appeal that the Ontario Supreme Court had no constitutional jurisdiction to sentence Lovelace, because it didn't take the B.C. decision into consideration. The appeal will also bear on the sentencing three weeks ago of six natives from the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninugug (KI) First Nation, also jailed for six months, for blocking drilling by Platinex Inc., about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. The jailings follow on obligations and commitments that Queen's Park failed to honour. During the 2003 election, Premier Dalton McGuinty promised there would be no industrial development in the northern boreal until a comprehensive land-use plan was in place. There still is no such plan . The province is allowing development to push into the northern boreal without acknowledging that Indians have full rights to negotiate how development occurs within their territories. Meanwhile, it is turning a blind eye as Indians are jailed for protesting. In Eastern Ontario, the Ardoch and Shabot First Nations are protesting because the province failed to follow a Supreme Court of Canada decision requiring Ontario to negotiate with First Nations before exploration proceeded on their territories. Again, the province is turning a blind eye to the jailing of Lovelace, who blocked attempts by Frontenac Ventures Corp. to proceed with drilling in the absence of such negotiations. In the B.C. case, Justice D. H. Vickers said allowing logging would be an expropriation of Tsilhqot'in rights, and the province had no constitutional authority to do this. Accordingly, he said, the provisions of the B.C. Forest Act did not apply to Tsilhqot'in territory. Vickers noted his decision could have serious implications for B.C.'s forestry industry, because so many areas are subject to Indian land claims. Nevertheless, he quoted with approval an academic report that said: "In reality, it appears that the province has been violating aboriginal title in an unconstitutional and therefore illegal fashion ever since it joined Canada in 1871. What is truly disturbing is not that the province can no longer do so, but that it has been able to get away with it for so many years." So, Ontario has two choices. It can continue to play hardball, or it can call a halt to exploration in both territories while it seeks to reconcile differences. The danger it faces is that if it doesn't opt for reconciliation, it may lose everything in court. Cameron Smith can be reached at |