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In a surprise move, the province has protected 23,181 square kilometres of traditional First Nation land in northern Ontario away from mining firms.
The land in question is near the territory of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) about 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay. God’s Lake Resources, a junior gold mining firm, has plans for a 3,000-metre drill program in the area.
This is not the first time KI has been in a dispute over land use. Four years ago, KI was embroiled in a long-standing conflict with Platinex, a Canadian exploration firm, who sued Ontario and the Cree First Nation because they said they were prevented from accessing their mining claims.
The province spent $5 million to settle the dispute.
The ministry of northern development and mines issued a release Sunday to say they were protecting the land from prospecting and mining claim staking in order to “give clarity to the province’s mineral exploration industry and avoid future disagreements.”
However, the ministry said God’s Lake existing mining lease and claims are not affected by the withdrawal.
KI Chief Donny Morris told the Star the community has imposed a moratorium on mineral exploration and development on their land. He was disappointed to hear the ministry excluded some areas.
At issue is an old abandoned gold mine that was shut down at the start of the Second World War, Morris said. In the vicinity he said there is a gravesite. “This is our territory,” said Morris, who was jailed for 68 days during the Platinex dispute.
For the rest of this article, please go to the Toronto Star website: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1141393–ontario-to-protect-23-000-square-kilometers-of-native-land-from-mining