Press Release
July 22, 2002
Algonquins Call on Landry to Intervene as
Riot Police Mobilized Over Barriere Lake Logging
Crisis
Kitiganik/Rapid Lake/Lac - Algonquin leaders in
Barriere Lake are calling on Premier Bernard Landry to step in and prevent the
logging crisis in the region from spiraling out of control. The call comes as
angry forest truckers and heavy equipment operators from the mill in Grand
Remous threaten to blockade access to the Algonquin reserve at Rapid Lake. Riot
police from Montreal have reportedly been moved into the
region.
Hector
Jerome, a spokesman for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, says the Premier�s
involvement would go along way to settling issues.
Leadership
and goodwill are needed at this time. We need clear signals from government in
order to end this crisis. For our part, we have been in contact with
representatives of the forest truckers to let them know that we want to work
with them. The real fight isn�t between forestry workers and the Algonquins, the
problem has been caused by the federal and provincial officials who are
collaborating in order to try and undermine the Trilateral Agreement
process.
Logging on
the territory has been
suspended since the Federal government walked away
from the final stages of the Trilateral Agreement -- a groundbreaking Integrated
Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the territory. Without an IRMP, the
Algonquin traditional way of life, which is dependent on hunting and gathering,
faces threat from industrial forestry
operations.
The
Algonquins are worried that the presence of riot police poses a dangerous
escalation in tension in the region. As a result, Jerome says, checkpoints will
be set up on the road leading into the Rapid Lake
reserve.
The decision
to set up checkpoints on the road was not taken lightly. We are very worried
about being seen to do anything that would escalate this situation. But we have
some very serious safety concerns and had to take action. We have many elders
and young people living in our isolated reserve. We cannot expose them to the
threat of angry forestry workers driving through with large trucks and
skidders.
The
Algonquins have been trying to work with the forestry companies to ensure that
industrial logging practices will not impact the traditional gathering
activities that take place on the land. In fact, Jim Lopez, a Tembec
Vice-President is scheduled to visit the Rapid Lake Reserve tomorrow. In the
meantime, the Algonquins will be maintaining the road checkpoint until the
situation is stabilized.
The
Algonquins of Barriere Lake,
Rapid Lake Reserve is on Highway 117, 280 kms
north of Ottawa and 150 kms south of Val d�Or.
For More Information
Contact:
Grand Chief Carol McBride
(819)
723-2019
Russell Diabo
(613) 260-3722<SPAN
Hector Jerome
(819)
435-2181
