First Nations rally together to oppose nuclear waste transportation and storage in northwestern Ontario
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — Fort William First Nation Chief Michele Solomon and a group of Chiefs expressed their concerns about the transportation and storage of nuclear waste in northwestern Ontario during a rally on June 6 in Thunder Bay. The rally began at Waverley Park and proceeded down Red River Rd. to the Spirit Garden on Thunder Bay’s waterfront.
“Nuclear waste, it’s not going to happen,” Chief Solomon says. “I know that, sometimes, communities are in the situation where this stuff is already in their backyard. So, how do we make the best of this situation for our people? What I’m grateful for is that all the First Nations along the transportation corridor between where this nuclear waste is and Wabigoon Lake First Nation have adamantly opposed the transportation of nuclear waste.”
Chief Solomon says there is a long history of resolutions about the transportation of nuclear waste that have been passed at the level of the Chiefs of Ontario, Anishinabek Nation and the North Superior Chiefs.
“This is not something that’s been in the last five years; since the early 2000s, there’s been resolutions that have been put forward opposing the transportation of nuclear waste,” Chief Solomon says. “It’s certainly becoming a more urgent matter as we go along, particularly with the environmental impact assessment process that has excluded transportation in that process, and also that consultation with the First Nations that are along the transportation corridor has not been part of their process. There’s been information sessions, I know, but that information does not equal consultation, does not equal approval, and as we’ve heard today from Wabaseemoong and Grassy Narrows, they say no, I say no, Fort William First Nation says no.”
Grassy Narrows Chief Sherry Ackabee says she is worried about the people in her community, noting they have had to live with mercury pollution in the English-Wabigoon river system for decades, and now, there are plans to transport nuclear waste to a site located upstream from their community.
“We are going through a lot in our community, we’ve lost a lot of our people,” Chief Ackabee says. “Our younger generation is getting more sick; it shouldn’t be that way, and shame on the government for letting it go this way to our people, especially children.”
Chief Ackabee says her community recently joined with Wabaseemoong to clean the English River that flows through their communities, noting that they had fishing lodges before the river was polluted with mercury.
“What scares me most is the nuclear waste; they want to store it,” Chief Ackabee says. “You know, things get old, things deteriorate, things rot, and that’s what is going to be going into the river system next. I am totally against this.”
Wabaseemoong Chief Roland Fisher also expressed his opposition to the transportation and storage of nuclear waste in northwestern Ontario.
“It is concerning that nuclear waste is coming to northwestern Ontario,” Chief Fisher says. “We have to stand right now together, all Treaty #3 Nations, to say no.”
Deputy Grand Chief Mike Metatawabin, from Nishnawbe Aski Nation, says he was also opposed to the transportation and storage of nuclear waste in northwestern Ontario.
“I come to you as a human being, as a grandfather, as a citizen of our territory here, the region,” Deputy Grand Chief Metatawabin says. “I also represent Nishnawbe Aski Nation as one of the Deputy Grand Chiefs, and we are opposed as well. The message I want to convey is if it’s not dangerous, then keep it to yourselves over there. I think that should be made clear, they keep saying it’s not dangerous, and our message is then keep it, keep it where you have it now.”