Québec

(Kipawa, Quebec) Wolf Lake First Nation and Eagle Village First Nation are aware that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) has initiated an environmental assessment of the proposed Kipawa Rare Earth Elements open pit mine. The proposed mine site is located within, and has the potential to significantly affect, the shared traditional territories of our two First Nations.

News release: Today, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake are re-affirming their opposition to the proposed exploration activities of the junior mining company Copper One (TSX-V: CUO) within their unceded traditional territory. Copper One’s Rivière Doré project is within the area of an existing co-management agreement that Barriere Lake signed with Quebec and Canada in 1991 (the Trilateral Agreement).

The outgoing Charest government in Quebec received a lot of flack over the summer for offering a $58-million loan to an industry that was on its last breath — the mining and export of asbestos. But now that the PQ will be taking over the reins in the National Assembly there may be no resuscitation for the Jeffrey mine.

The way the Quebec government has presented the Plan Nord as a non-stoppable project and Premier Charest's responses to its critics make it seem that accepting the plan will be the only way for northern communities to get the government to deal with their pressing social issues.