Wiikwemkoong Islands Transfer

CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS RESERVE BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER MINISTRY OF INDIGENOUS RELATIONS AND RECONCILIATION June 2017 This Draft Environmental Study Report has been prepared as a Project Plan Report for the Wiikwemkoong Islands Boundary Claim – Proposed Land Transfer as a part of the Category C Project Evaluation and Consultation Process as outlined in Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Class Environmental Assessment for Forestry Resource Stewardship and Facility Development Projects. DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT - WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER – JUNE 12, 2017 Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 2 2.0 PROJECT PROPOSAL .................................................................................................. 1 2.1 Project Description .................................................................................................... 1 2.2 Description of Study Area ......................................................................................... 3 Table 1: Species at Risk - Manitoulin ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 2: Location Reference Table (Toma Kinoshameg Fishing Boundary Area) ................... 6 Table 3: Location Reference Table (Heywood Island) ............................................................ 6 Table 4: Species at Risk - Sudbury .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 5: Location Reference Table (Interchange and Exchange Blocks) ................................ 9 Table 6: Location Reference Table (Wolf Creek Block) .........................................................11 Table 7: Location Reference Table (Mahzenazing Lake Block) .............................................13 Table 8: Location Reference Table (Collins Inlet Block) .........................................................14 Table 9: Location Reference Table Philip Edward Island (aka Gwiinokgwiindek Mnisheh) and Surrounding Islands ...............................................................................................................16 3.0 IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES ........................................18 4.0 CONSULTATION ...........................................................................................................20 4.1 Consultation Activities to date .................................................................................20 4.2 First Nation and Métis Communities .......................................................................20 4.3 Consultation Next Steps ...........................................................................................21 5.0 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ...............23 Table 10: Potential Impacts and Mitigation Options ...............................................................23 6.0 PRELIMINARY PROJECT PLAN ..................................................................................25 7.0 REFERENCES, AND APPLICABLE MANUALS AND GUIDELINES ............................27 8.0 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................29 Appendix A: Map of Proposed Settlement Lands ...................................................................29 Appendix B:Resource User Activity Summary, Impact Assessment, Potential Mitigation Options ..................................................................................................................................29 1 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT - WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER – JUNE 12, 2017 1.0 INTRODUCTION This draft Environmental Study Report (ESR) has been prepared in accordance with a Category “C” project under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA for Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Resource Stewardship and Facility Development Projects (RSFD). The Wiikwemkoong Islands Boundary Claim is a land claim relating to the islands off the eastern shore of Manitoulin Island. Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory asserts that its rights and interests in and to these islands under the Treaty of 1836 have never been given up or extinguished. The Council of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and the Government of Ontario are working together to resolve this outstanding land claim. Ontario is planning to transfer lands for settlement of the Wiikwemkoong Islands Boundary Claim. The Proposed Settlement Lands are located in the Districts of Killarney and Sudbury, as well as unorganized areas. The Class EA process for the proposed land transfer included an assessment of the existing environment, identification of potential effects, identification of mitigation and protection measures, where appropriate, and consultation with municipal, provincial and federal government officials, government agencies, First Nations and Métis communities, potentially affected and interested persons, and interest groups. The Class EA focuses only on potential impacts arising from the transfer of Crown land to Canada to be set apart as reserve for Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Alternatively, if this is not possible, the lands will be conveyed to a designate of Wiikwemkoong in fee simple, to be held in trust for the benefit of Wiikwemkoong. Potential uses to be made of the lands and any planning or development decisions are not assessed as part of the undertaking to sell or dispose of the lands, as the future use of the property is not assured at the time of disposition. Notification regarding the proposed land transfer and Class EA process took place through news releases, letters, public meetings, open houses and personal contact. The opportunity to comment on this draft report will also be publicly advertised. The draft ESR is available for review and comment between June 12, 2017 and August 11, 2017 at the following locations: Municipality of Killarney 32 Commissioner Street Killarney, ON P0M 2A0 2 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT - WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER – JUNE 12, 2017 Sudbury District - Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 3767 Highway 69 South, Ste .5 Sudbury, ON P3G 1E7 Comments or questions can be submitted to: Alison McLaren Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation 160 Bloor St. E. Suite 920 Toronto, ON M7A 2E6 (705) 755-3316 [email protected] Comments on this draft ESR will be taken into account in preparation of the final ESR. 3 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT - WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER – JUNE 12, 2017 2.0 PROJECT PROPOSAL 2.1 Project Description Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (Wiikwemkoong) asserts that its Aboriginal and treaty rights protected by the Canadian Constitution have not been given up or extinguished, and that it has a legal claim to ownership of the islands on the northern and eastern shores of Georgian Bay, from just east of Sault Ste. Marie, and south to O’Donnell Point. This claim is the subject of a civil action commenced in 1997, which has been placed under case management by the court. The presiding judge approved a Notification Protocol that requires Ontario to provide notice to Wiikwemkoong of intended dispositions of the provincial Crown’s interests and the issuing of new licenses and permits on all islands along the northern and eastern Lake Huron-Georgian Bay shore. Ontario reviews land claims on the basis of the historical record and applicable law. Ontario has agreed to address with Wiikwemkoong its claim to the islands in the central portion of the area described in the civil action. Ontario and Wiikwemkoong have agreed that negotiating a resolution of the central portion of the claim at this time is in everyone’s best interests. Negotiating the settlement of claims helps to: - Achieve legal certainty regarding the lands in question - Promote opportunities for economic, cultural and community development between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities - Improve relationships between the government and Indigenous communities, and between Indigenous communities and their neighbors. The goal of negotiated settlements is to provide First Nations with appropriate compensation for past wrongs and to carry out outstanding obligations. They also bring economic benefits and certainty, creating economic opportunities and potential new business partnerships in the region. The islands in the central portion of the area described in the civil action are islands that surround the Wiikwemkoong peninsula on eastern Manitoulin island. This area is represented generally by the negotiated Toma Kinoshameg Fishing Boundary area. Based on Chief Kinoshameg’s boundary, this area was negotiated by the parties with reference to the historical use and occupancy of Wiikwemkoong. The federal government has also accepted the claim, and has participated in the negotiation. In settlement of the Wiikwemkoong Islands Reserve Boundary Claim and a portion of the related litigation against Ontario, the project consists of: 1 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT - WIIKWEMKOONG ISLANDS BOUNDARY CLAIM – PROPOSED LAND TRANSFER – JUNE 12, 2017 A. Disposition, (transfer of management and responsibility), of certain provincial Crown land to Canada to be set apart as reserve lands for the use and benefit of Wiikwemkoong, or B.

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