Canada

Press Relase from Matawa First Nations: Thunder Bay ON, August 24th, 2010 - Matawa First Nations Chiefs representing their respective communities are looking for immediate resources following a meeting with three provincial ministers. Matawa First Nations Chiefs gathered with Ministers Chris Bentley, Michael Gravelle, and Linda Jeffrey last week in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in attempt to secure much needed funding to better prepare their First Nations communities about the initiatives within the Ring of Fire.

Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam news release: Quebec – The Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam (ITUM) have submitted recommendations on Quebec's Mineral Strategy to the National Assembly. After a thorough review of the proposed amendments to the Mining Act, and faced with the unwillingness of Quebec to recognize fundamental Aboriginal rights, ITUM has concluded that there is a massive gap between the position of the Uashaunnuat and the government regarding the legal title of mineral resources.

(Uashat, Nitassinan – August 17, 2010) Speaking for his nation, Chief Georges-Ernest Grégoire of the Innu of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam is calling on the Government of Québec to declare an immediate moratorium on uranium exploration and mining throughout Québec. The statement is being made in support of the actions being taken by the grassroots organization Sept-Iles Sans Uranium at the National Assembly in Québec City this week.

Penobsquis Homeowners' news release: A group of Penobsquis homeowners are taking action against PotashCorp for damages resulting from their mining activities. Sixty water wells have been lost in the Penobsquis area affecting upwards of 200 people. The removal of the water from the mine is causing the ground to settle and shift even more than is expected from normal mine operations. This land movement is causing damage to homes and property. In addition to water loss and land movement, residents suffer from dust, noise and light pollution, lost property values, stress, and other issues.

Joint news release with Ecojustice and Great Lakes United: New data released Friday in response to a lawsuit won last year by Ecojustice, on behalf of Great Lakes United and MiningWatch Canada, is beginning to shine a light on the toxic legacy of Canada's mining and tar sands industries. Unfortunately, despite a lawsuit and a government order to report pollutant releases, some facilities have failed to comply.

Tsilhqot'in National Government news release: The Tsilhqot'in National Government today welcomed the pledge by the Assembly of First Nations’ Chiefs-in Assembly to “stand behind the Tsilhqot’in Nation in defence of these lands regardless of the decision made by the Federal Government.”

Our Supreme Court win re-established the integrity of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), but the government has moved quickly to undo it. The Budget Implementation Bill, C-9, introduced March 29, 2010 and passed into law on July 12, makes a mockery of the independence and objectivity of the federal environmental assessment process.