God's Lake First Nation and Narrows Northern Affairs Community Businesses, Services, Infrastructure An
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PROJECT 6 – ALL-SEASON ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Figure 6-20: God’s Lake First Nation and Narrows Northern Affairs Community businesses, services, infrastructure and utilities Page 6-108 PROJECT 6 – ALL-SEASON ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Table 6.32: Select Local Businesses in God’s Lake First Nation Business Type Business Food, Lodging, Construction, Communications . Mantosakahigan (God’s Lake Narrows Restaurant) and Transportation Retail and other . Smoke Shop 6.1.9.1.3.4 Infrastructure, Utilities and Services The community of God’s Lake First Nation predominately has modern water and wastewater services. Drinking water is sourced from God’s Lake and is treated at a community water treatment plant and piped to 193 houses, the remaining residences have no water service and rely on water tanks supplied via water truck. Sewage is generally piped from houses and community buildings or stored in septic tanks to be trucked to the community’s wastewater treatment plant. Approximately 159 residences in the community use septic tanks. The other infrastructure and utilities in God’s Lake First Nation are summarized in Table 6.33 and shown in Figure 6-20. Table 6.33: Overview of Infrastructure and Utilities – God’s Lake First Nation Infrastructure and Utilities Water Water is obtained from God’s Lake, then treated and distributed via watermains to 193 houses; the remaining houses have water tanks that are serviced by a water truck. Sewer The community has a sewage treatment plant connected to approximately 159 houses and public facilities; approximately 119 houses utilize septic tanks. Waste Management One landfill site located west of the community. Roads No permanent access route to the community; access is provided by winter road; the community has a small network of internal gravel roads. Electricity Manitoba Hydro – 138 kV transmission line from Oxford House. Telephone/Internet MTS – Landline with internet by satellite as there is no cellular service. The God’s Lake First Nation provides education for students up to Grade 9. A nursing station provides health care services to the community. A new school (Kindergarten to Grade 12) and nursing station are under construction in the community. Police services are provided by the RCMP detachment stationed in God’s Lake Narrows Northern Affairs Community. Recreational amenities in God’s Lake First Nation include a youth centre. Fire protection is provided via a fire truck. These local services are summarized in Table 6.34. Page 6-109 PROJECT 6 – ALL-SEASON ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Table 6.34: Summary of Services in God’s Lake First Nation Services Postal Service . Mail service is provided by air on weekdays. Recreation . Facilities include a youth centre and an arena. Health Care . God’s Lake Health Centre. A new nursing station is being constructed in the community. Education . God’s Lake Narrows First Nation School (up to Grade 9). A new school (Kindergarten to Grade 12) is being constructed in the community Government . God’s Lake First Nation Band Office. Police . RCMP detachment based in God’s Lake Narrows Northern Affairs Community. Fire . The First Nation has a Fire Hall and fire truck. 6.1.9.1.3.5 Transportation Roads God’s Lake First Nation has no year round road access to a service centre. The majority of goods are delivered to the community via the winter road network that is operational for approximately two months each year. The network of gravel roads in the communities are maintained locally. Airport God’s Lake First Nation is serviced by a regional airport (shared with God’s Lake Narrows Northern Affairs Community) with a 1,044 m gravel runway. The airport is operated by the Northern Airports & Marine Operations Division of MI. Aircraft movements (number of planes) for the 2015/2016 period were 2,846 and passenger traffic (number of people) for the same period was 17,122 (Manitoba Infrastructure 2017a). Scheduled service to the community is provided by Perimeter Airlines. 6.1.9.1.3.6 Resource Use Indigenous people from God’s Lake First Nation use the Indigenous LAA and RAA for traditional activities including fishing, hunting, trapping, camping, harvesting plants and berries, recreation activities and sacred/ceremonial use. During the TK workshops and interviews, members indicated that traditional activities and the environment that supports those activities are important to members. Traditional activities provide a connection to the past, reinforce social connections among community members and are central to maintaining culturally appropriate relationships with the land. Some traditional activities that are currently practiced, primarily by elders, include beading, leatherwork and smoking meat and hides. Activities such as trapping, hunting and fishing continue to be passed on and are widely practiced by younger generations (HTFC Planning & Design 2017b). Traditional activities occur on God’s Lake and lakes and waterbodies close to the community. Locations of areas where traditional activities are conducted which were identified in the TK report cannot be reported publicly. Travel routes in the Indigenous RAA are important to God’s Lake First Nation as they provide seasonal access for traditional activities of cultural importance including hunting, trapping, fishing and gathering. Page 6-110 PROJECT 6 – ALL-SEASON ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Travel routes in the Indigenous LAA and RAA include walking, ATV and snowmobile trails, as well as open- water and frozen waterways. The majority of travel routes documented through the TK study were associated with the major waterways in including God’s Lake. The winter roads operated by the Province of Manitoba also provide an important travel route. Members indicated that canoeing, walking, snowmobiling and dogsled were the traditional methods of travel. Currently, the most common methods of travel are by boat and snowmobile. Travel by boat occurs on God’s Lake to access fishing, hunting and trapping areas. Community members identified a number of sites important to the community. These include beaches, youth camps, family gathering sites, a sweat lodge and a retreat area. Historic sites of cultural importance include the Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post, the old settlement site and the site where Treaty 5 was signed. During the TK interviews, members described traveling and staying overnight on the traditional lands surrounding God’s Lake First Nation. In addition, there are tenting sites in many locations around God’s Lake. Members also indicated that they often set up tents at their current trapping location, which varies depending on the time of year and decisions made while trapping. Hence, these locations change. Cabins are common in the area and are used for fishing, hunting and trapping and are sometimes shared by families and trappers. Cabin types include family cabins, lodges, fishing lodges, hunting lodges, trapper’s cabins and youth camps. Cabins are often built by families in their trapping or hunting area and are open for use by other families and trappers. Cabin and tenting sites are in the vicinity of God’s Lake and waterways in the Indigenous LAA. Members of God’s Lake First Nation indicated that moose hunting is common around God’s Lake and is often done in the fall, but that moose is also hunted opportunistically at other times of the year. Moose hunting also occurs to the northwest, southeast and east of the community. Moose is a valuable food source and its meat is often shared with other members, making moose hunting a valuable social/cultural practice. Moose hunting also provides a significant dietary component for members. Moose hunting is often done by boat around the shorelines of water so that the moose can be transported back to the community. Sometimes, hunters will fly in to moose hunting areas near more remote lakes. Caribou is not commonly hunted or consumed by community members. Many workshop and interview participants noted that the entire God’s Lake is used for fishing throughout the entire year. Fishing is an important activity for harvesting food and fish represents a main dietary component of God’s Lake First Nation members. Sharing catch is common in God’s Lake. Fishing serves a social and cultural function by bringing families and friends together, connecting community members to the land and providing an opportunity for passing on knowledge. The species identified for fishing and fishing guiding were brook trout, northern pike, lake trout, sturgeon, walleye and whitefish. The fish most commonly caught for consumption are northern pike, walleye and whitefish. Members conduct fishing guiding through lodges in the area. Page 6-111 PROJECT 6 – ALL-SEASON ROAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Trapping is practiced by God’s Lake First Nation members and is valued as a source of income and a connection to traditional practices. God’s Lake First Nation shares a RTL section with Manto Sipi Cree Nation. Trappers from the community trapped on registered traplines 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 27 44, 48 and 49. Trapline 44 is a community trapline which is used by elders and others. Members indicated that beaver, fisher, fox, lynx, marten, mink, muskrat, otter, wolf and wolverine are trapped. Trapping primarily occurs in the winter and spring and coincides with other activities such as fishing, hunting and plant harvesting, so many of the trapline areas are also common areas for these other activities. Traplines within the God’s Lake RTL District that are at least partially located within the Indigenous LAA are 4 to 12 and 44 (Figure 6- 17). Waterfowl hunting occurs on lakes and rivers in the God’s Lake area. Waterfowl and game birds are an important food source to community members. Hunted species include ducks, geese, grouse, ptarmigan, spruce grouse, merganser, black ducks (scoter) and fall ducks (ring necked ducks). During the TK interviews, members indicated that they hunt small game such as rabbits, squirrels, muskrat and beaver both for food or domestic use of fur.