First Nations call Lake St. Martin project ruling an affront to treaty rights – Winnipeg Sun
Feb 23, 2021
A provincial court has overturned an injunction against the province that halted work on the contentious Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels project, while a First Nations collective says Friday’s decision is an affront to treaty rights.
Last August, the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council (IRTC) and four other First Nations filed an injunction against the province to stop work on a 19.5 km access road that controls project construction. The IRTC said in a statement on Monday, the province carried out a significant amount of work, including land clearing, without proper consultation. The project’s floodway channels are designed to enhance water regulation in Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin to reduce flooding potential.
Karl Zadnik, chief executive officer of IRTC told the Winnipeg Sun on Monday the main problems with the project are impacts to commercial fishing involving the movement of unwanted fish species, and IRTC communities being used as flood mitigation “guinea pigs.”
