First Nation in Manitoba says province, logging company failed to consult
A First Nation in Manitoba says it has not been properly included in sustainable forest management practices and is asking for a judicial review into commercial logging in a provincial park.
Minegoziibe Anishinabe, also known as Pine Creek First Nation, is asking Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench to quash the government's decision to extend a timber-cutting licence to Louisiana-Pacific Canada.
"Manitoba did not consult with Pine Creek before authorizing Louisiana-Pacific to continue logging in the Duck Mountain Park forest and surrounding areas," said Jeremy McKay, a policy analyst for the community.
The U.S.-based building company submitted a 20-year forest management plan in 2006 to obtain logging rights for an area in Duck Mountain Provincial Park near the Saskatchewan boundary.
A notice of application filed Tuesday in court alleges the province extended the current licence last month without consulting the First Nation.
Pine Creek says it wasn't consulted on two previous extensions either.
Chief Derek Nepinak said the community is not opposed to logging in the area. But it is concerned it's not being done in a sustainable way and wants to be included in conversations about it.
"What we believe in is sustainable forestry management. We can't say for certain whether that's been happening on Duck Mountain because we haven'tbeen party to the conversations," Nepinak said during an online news conference.
"Louisiana-Pacific has never come forward and shared the detailed information about what kind of sustainable forestry initiatives they've put in place from year to year."
Community leaders have brought their concerns to Louisiana-Pacific, but conversations have not netted "tangible results," he added.
The First Nation says current practices have affected the moose population in the area as well as access to essential medicines.
"During that time we have seen a steady decline in the population ... as moose have moved on into other geographies. That has impacted our ability to provide a stable food source on the tables, in the kitchens in our homes and our community," said Nepinak.
McKay said the community raised its concerns with the province before the last extension and at that time was told there wouldn't be a decision before the end of last year.
A few days later, authorization was granted to issue an extension until the end of 2022, but the community was unaware that had happened, the review application says.
The province said it was unable to comment as the matter is before the courts.
The company said in a statement it remains committed to working with First Nations about its operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
BREAKING Suspect sought after man found injured in downtown Toronto dies in hospital
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man who was found with life-threatening injuries in downtown Toronto on Sunday morning succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Potentially toxic chemicals hide in our drinking water and countless household objects, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Police investigating after tow trucks shot at in Scarborough two hours apart
Toronto police are investigating after tow trucks were shot at in Scarborough about two hours apart Saturday night.
BREAKING 37-year-old dies following Sault police shooting
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after a Sault Ste. Marie Police Service officer shot a 37-year-old in the city’s west end on Saturday night.
U.K. foreign secretary says halting arms sales to Israel would only strengthen Hamas
Asked whether the U.K. would follow the U.S. in threatening to cut the supply of offensive weapons to Israel if it carried out an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the two countries cannot be compared because unlike the U.S., Britain supplies a very small amount of Israel's weapons.