Land claim worth $500BBY LAURA STRADIOTTO
The Sudbury Star
In one of the largest landclaims in Canadian history,Whitefish Lake First Nation isseeking $550 billion from thefederal and provincial govern-ments for the loss of land andprofits from natural resources.
The land in questionencompasses about 250,000acres, including a significantamount of Crown land aswell as the entire City ofGreater Sudbury and outsidemunicipalities such as NairnCentre, parts of Killarney andFrench River.
“The claim is about com-pensation for financial lossesand for losses of land and lossof the ability to control whattakes place on the land,” saidAaron Detlor, a Torontolawyer specializing in FirstNation law who is represent-ing the First Nation commu-nity.
“It’s not about displacinganyone or asking the govern-ment to expropriate anythingfrom anyone. I think herewe’ve got a positive history ofgood relationships betweenall the different communitiesin the Sudbury region.”
The community “wants tosee that maintained andstrengthened,” he said.
In 1850, Whitefish LakeFirst Nation, also known asthe Atikameksheng Anishn-abek reservation, entered intothe Robinson Huron Treatywith the Crown to set aside areservation that is more thanfive times larger than the cur-rent reservation that was setaside in 1885.
Today, Whitefish Lake islocated southwest ofGreater Sudbury. It has apopulation of 350 peopleliving on and 500 who liveoff the reserve.
The community claims theCrown failed to honour theterms of the 1850 treaty andis seeking financial compen-sation, as well trying toreclaim the land it lost.
The aboriginal communityis trying to identify pieces ofCrown land that could bereturned to them and in theprocess are consulting with
local industry and business.Detlor calls the $550 billion
a conservative estimate giventhe mining industry’s $1 tril-lion impact originating from
the Sudbury basin and fromland that once belonged toWhitefish Lake.
Compensation beingsought relates to tourism rev-
enues, industrial and commer-cial development, residentialdevelopment and in relationto resource extraction includ-ing, but not limited to, tim-
ber, minerals and aggregate. In a press conference held
Tuesday, the chief of White-fish Lake said he doesn’t likeusing the term “launching aclaim” because the land “hasalways been ours.”
Arthur Petahtegoose saidthe legal process is a way toremind the Ontario andCanadian governments oftheir obligation to the FirstNation people.
See CLAIM / A4
CMYK
SHERRI BASSETT/THE SUDBURY STAR
WhitefishLake Indian
Reserve
Sudbury
Nairn
Espanola
Killarney
Alban
Estaire
Markstay
Skead
Capreol
WanapiteiLake
Dowling
Onaping
144
69
6
17
17
144
KillarneyProvincial Park
French RiverProvincial Park
Land claim boundary
Land claim boundary
637
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Whitefish LakeIndian Reserveboundary claim
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LAURA STRADIOTTO/THE SUDBURY STAR
Chief Arthur Petahtegoose (left) of Whitefish Lake First Nation, lawyer Aaron Detlor anddeputy chief Theresa Migwans of Whitefish Lake First Nation address media at a press con-ference to announce the aboriginal community launched a land claim worth $550 billionagainst the Ontario and Canadian governments
BY RACHEL PUNCHThe Sudbury Star
A mammoth study exam-ining the effect metals inSudbury’s environment haveon human health showsslightly elevated levels oflead on a handful of proper-ties and some risks associ-ated with nickel in the air.
The risks, however, areminimal and the seven-year,$10-million study showsmetals in the environmentpose little risk.
“There is clearly no darkcloud hanging over Sudbury’shealth based on the currentlevels of the six metal con-taminants measured in ourenvironment in this study,”said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, med-ical officer of health.
See SOILS / A4
Some notconvincedby report
BY RACHEL PUNCHThe Sudbury Star
When Tanya Ball spendstime outdoors in Sudburywith her two-year-old, whatshe sees in the environmentoften concerns her.
Walking over fluorescentorange ground or on blackrock causes her to wonderwhat the effect more than acentury ofmining inthe city willhave on herchild’shealth.
Ball wasone of abouthalf a dozenresidentswho raisedconcernsabout areport painting a positivepicture of the health of Sud-burians released at a publicinformation session at Sci-ence North on Tuesday.
See REACTION / A4
Whitefish Lake First Nation says Crown breached 1850 treaty
The band’s lawyercalls the $550B a conservative estimate,given the miningindustry’s $1 trillionimpact originatingfrom the Sudburybasin and from landthat once belongedto Whitefish Lake.
The Sudbury Soils Study’stechnical committee hasannounced the results of itsstudy. Public sessions onthe report will be held:➤ Today at 3 p.m. and 8p.m. at the Italian Club inCopper Cliff;➤ Thursday at 3 p.m. and 8p.m. at the Recreation andWellness Centre in Falcon-bridge;➤ For more information, visitwww.sudburysoilsstudy.com.
GIVE YOUR INPUT
Ball
“It’s not about displacing anyone orasking the government toexpropriate anythingfrom anyone. I thinkhere we’ve got a positive history ofgood relationshipsbetween all the different communities in theSudbury region.”
Arthur Petahtegoose, chief ofWhitefish Lake First Nation
Soils studyfinds nomajor riskto health
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