Long Lake and Ogoki River Water Diversion Projects
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14 Wawatay News NOVEMBER 20, 2020 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ Community Regional Assessment in the Ring of Fire Area Engagement Activities and Participant Funding Available November 12, 2020 — The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has determined that a regional assessment will be conducted in an area centred on the Ring of Fire mineral deposits in northern Ontario. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) is inviting the public, Indigenous communities, and organizations to provide input to support the planning of the Regional Assessment in the Ring of Fire area. Participants may provide their input to the Agency in either official Rick Garrick/Wawatay language until January 21, 2021. Participants are encouraged to refer to The impacts of waterway diversions in the Matawa region were raised during Treaties Recognition Week the Ring of Fire regional assessment planning information sheet for on the Matawa First Nations Facebook page. additional details. Participants can visit the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 80468) for more options to submit Waterway diversion information. All input received will be published to the Registry as part of the regional assessment file. The Agency recognizes that it is more challenging to undertake meaningful public engagement and Indigenous consultation in light of the education important circumstances arising from COVID-19. The Agency continues to assess the situation with key stakeholders, make adjustments to engagement activities, and is providing flexibility as needed in order to prioritize the health and safety of all Canadians, while maintaining its duty to conduct meaningful for youth engagement with interested groups and individuals. Virtual Information Sessions Rick Garrick and for our young people to The Kenogami and Ogoki Riv- Wawatay News learn it.” ers are tributaries of the Albany The Agency will host virtual information sessions to provide background Achneepineskum says many River. The Lake St. Joseph information on the regional assessment and to help participants understand Marten Falls Councillor of the communities have done diversion project was built in Sam Achneepineskum recently research and completed land- the late 1950s to divert water how to provide information that will contribute to the design of the process stressed the importance of use plans over the years. from Lake St. Joseph, which and development of the terms of reference for the assessment. The virtual sharing information about the “A lot of them have their drains into the Albany River, to sessions will consist of a presentation on the anticipated regional impacts of waterway diversions sacred sites and names of riv- Lac Seul, which drains through from the Albany River system ers,” Achneepineskum says. the English River system into assessment process, information on future opportunities for participation, with upcoming generations of “The Elders are disappearing, Lake Winnipeg. and an opportunity to ask questions to Agency staff. youth. those people that lived on those “When they built the (Ogoki “It’s important for our young rivers. Their whole life was liv- River diversion project), they people to learn their history,” ing on the river and the land.” told people it would help the The virtual information sessions will take place at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (EST) Achneepineskum says. “I think The waterway diversions industry and that was our con- on November 24, 2020 and November 26, 2020. For information on how they should look at their history involved three projects, one tribution to the war effort,” to attend these sessions, please contact the Agency at and how they were impacted by from the Kenogami River, one Achneepineskum says. [email protected]. the coming of the fur trade and from the Ogoki River and one Achneepineskum says the the people who are encroaching from Lake St. Joseph. The Long waterway diversions have since ever so closer all the time.” Lake diversion project was built impacted the environment in Participant Funding Available Achneepineskum says every- in the late 1930s with the con- the rivers as well as travel dur- thing on the land had a name struction of the Kenogami Lake ing certain seasons. and a story about it. Dam and Long Lake Diversion “In the summertime the The Agency is making funding available through its Participant Funding “We don’t want to forget Dam to divert water through water would be really dry,” Program to assist the public, Indigenous communities, and organizations that,” Achneepineskum says. Long Lake and the Aguasabon Achneepineskum says. “It made with their participation in the regional assessment. Funding will assist “If we have our history and our River to Lake Superior. The it difficult to travel, especially stories for these rivers and the Ogoki River diversion project when people started using out- recipients in providing input related to the planning of the regional land, then they remain ours, was built in the early 1940s board (motors).” assessment, reviewing and providing comments on the terms of reference they remain a part of us, but if with the construction of the and potential draft agreement for the Regional Assessment Committee, and we lose that we don’t have any- Waboose Dam and Summit participating in early engagement activities of the Committee. Additional thing. That’s why it is important Dam to divert water through con’t on next page to learn that and to keep it alive Lake Nipigon to Lake Superior. participant funding will be offered at a later date to support recipients in activities throughout the conduct of the assessment. Applications received by December 14, 2020 will be considered. To apply for funding, complete the Regional Assessment Participant Funding Application Form available on the Agency's website at canada.ca/iaac under Funding Programs. For more information, contact the Participant Funding Program by writing to [email protected], or by calling 1-866-582-1884. Follow us on Twitter: @IAAC_AEIC #RingofFireRA What is the Regional Assessment? Regional assessments are studies conducted in areas of existing projects or anticipated development to inform planning and management of cumulative effects and inform future project impact assessments. The regional assessment will be conducted in the area centered on the Ring of Fire mineral deposits in northern Ontario, approximately 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay and 1,000 kilometres north of Toronto. In planning the regional assessment, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will work with the Province of Ontario, Indigenous groups, federal authorities, non-government organizations and the public to determine the appropriate activities, outcomes and boundaries of the regional assessment. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change will consider these factors in setting the terms of reference for the conduct of the regional assessment. Wawatay News NOVEMBER 20, 2020 ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ 15 Community Waterways a part of history graphic from Matawa Facebook page from page 13 near the Albany Forks and they together and they started to had one at Mammamattawa, push back on trying to kill that Achneepineskum says the English River Post.” project. It was called Damn the researchers looked at how sup- Achneepineskum says gov- Dams.” plies used to be transported on ernment officials also looked The Long Lake and Ogoki the rivers by York boats while at developing more waterway River water diversion projects looking into the height of water diversion projects in the 1960s increased the water levels and levels before the water diver- on the rivers across northern hydroelectricity output on the sions. Ontario. Great Lakes. “They would ship stuff from “Our community would have “What’s kind of ironic about Fort Albany — they would go been a lake where it is now — it is now that they’ve diverted up the Albany River to Lake St. we would have been underwa- all our water south, now they’re Joseph,” Achneepineskum says. ter,” Achneepineskum says. “I sending us water bottles up “They had a post at Marten think that is part of the reason north,” Achneepineskum says. Falls, they had a post at Lake St. why Nishnawbe Aski Nation Joseph and they had a post just came to be, all the chiefs got Collaboratively implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel We invite you to learn more. Please visit our website: www.nwmo.ca Find us on @nwmocanada /company/nwmocanada.