Gull Bay First Nation Votes for OPG Agreement – Net Newsledger

November 2014

Klaahke Zaaglng Anishlnaabek – Gull Bay First Nation (GBFN) has voted by both a mail-in and in-person ballot vote conducted in the community on Saturday, November 8,2014,with the results affirming the membership’s desire to see Council accept OPG’s FinalOffer as 495 members votedIn favour of the deal while only 38 members opposed.  “I am pleased that members have clearly expressed their interest to settle. This deal represents the beginning a new and improved positive relationship between the First Nation _and OPG including the potential to move forward as partners together in future developments. I am personally excited to receive its mandate from the membership which I will carry onward into negotiations with Ontario and Canada,” said Chief King.

Chief Wilfred King is pleased to announce that members have overwhelming voted to ratify the terms of the final offer  endorsed by Chief and Council by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in regards to the community’s past grievances for the damages suffered by the First Nation and its people as a result of dams constructed by OPG on the Nipigon River between 1918 and 1950, and by the Ogoki River diversion completed in 1943. These projects not only flooded the community and its Traditional Territory, seeing a loss of land mass and excessive shoreline erosion, but caused serious damage to the resources used by its members in their livelihood (hunting,fishing,trapping, gathering and recreation). Other damages that are much more difficult to quantify are those done to the burial grave sites that are obviously considered irreparable and can never be compensated for in monetary terms.This vote ratifies an offer on only OPG’s portion of the total settlement of GB FN’s past grievances in regards to the associated flooding.

Read More: http://www.netnewsledger.com/2014/11/10/gull-bay-first-nation-votes-for-opg-agreement/