First Nations want province to ban development of 3M hectares in remote northern Ontario

Two First Nations in northwestern Ontario are calling on the province to ban any type of industrial development across three million hectares.

Under their own laws, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) and Wapekeka First Nations have already protected the land from development in remote northern Ontario.

Now they want the province to reciprocate, ensuring the area remains permanently free from development. A small contingent from the communities held a news conference at Queen’s Park on Thursday.

“A land mass this size — it’s to protect it for the future. Whatever green we’ll have in the future, that’s our goal, too,” KI Chief Donny Morris told reporters.

The area is 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay and is 48 times larger than the size of the City of Toronto. It includes boreal forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers.

In Anishininiimowin, the language of the First Nations, the area is known as Anishininew Aki.

Seventy-seven percent of the land is already protected from mining, but the communities said there are some mining developments on the outskirts.

“Our wish is these mining companies don’t encroach on our withdrawn lands out of respect,” Morris said.

Permanent protection

“This is our government that is declaring these withdrawn lands to be permanent. For those (mining companies) that are on the outskirts of our boundaries, just keep it there.”

The First Nations said they want to have “diplomatic talks” with the province. But given that the government is working to bring the Ring of Fire mining development to fruition, the communities said they’re unsure whether the province is interested in conservation efforts in far northern Ontario.

“Both governments (should) sit down with us and iron out the details, how we want to protect our homeland and also the way we want to protect it,” said Allan Brown, deputy chief of Wapekeka First Nation.

“It’s important that they come up and start this dialogue,” said Sol Mamakwa, the MPP for Kiiwetinoong.

“But I want to make it clear: nations such as Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug and Wapekeka do have jurisdiction over their homeland. And I know they can, and they will assert their sovereignty.”

The First Nations are supported by several environmental and wildlife organizations.

In a news release, Constance O’Connor with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada said, “We are proud to support KI and Wapekeka in their work to protect their Homelands and the wildlife that depend on them.”

“These ecosystems are essential for species at risk such as boreal and migratory caribou and lake sturgeon, which require large untrammeled areas for migration, breeding, and feeding and are highly sensitive to human disturbance.”

Conservation charity Wildlands League has been working and supporting KI for the past 20 years.

“This area is very important in terms of being rare and one of the most important intact Boreal Forests with peatlands that have been cooling the planet and a free-flowing river,” said the league’s conservation director, Anna Baggio.

“It is a globally significant area.”

“We are coming here to extend a hand that we want to start dialogue, start discussions on our withdrawn lands. We need Ontario to be there so that in the future that these lands are secured,” Morris told reporters at Queen’s Park.