"As SooToday reported yesterday, Chief Sayers and Chief Syrette of Garden River First Nation were conspicuously absent during yesterday's announcement."
Yet...the Sootoday failed to report that yesterday and today the NAN spring assembly was going on in Toronto.
Hint: hard to be at two places at the same time.
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Now, Batchewana is disputing the city's claim that it submitted a letter of support.
The following news release was issued by late this afternoon by Batchewana First Nation:
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"Consent not garnered for ferrochrome facility."
Here is what I find ironic
How many times.. over how long a period ..have we hear of the smelter is now between Timmins and the Sault...???
Yet where was Chief Sayers ....??????????????????????? He comes out only AFTER the announcement to ...complain with the consent, not enough consultation bla bla. Or in his own words in a wind facility case...."IN THE 11th HOUR"
look below of what he accuses another FN reserve of on a project HE is involved in, that being a Huge wind facility in the Sault, that did end up being built in the end.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/wind-farm-stirs-up-friction-between-first-nations/article4593667/
Wind farm stirs up friction between first nations
Today, the wind is drawing a new breed of resource seekers to the region and stirring up friction between some aboriginal groups. One energy project in particular is dividing the Batchewana and Anishinabek first nations. Led by Calgary-based BluEarth Renewables, the Bow Lake Wind Farm proposes to erect 36 turbines predominantly on provincial Crown land about 80 kilometres northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, near the eastern edge of Lake Superior and just south of the Montreal River.
The crux of the dispute isn't the size of the turbines or their noise, factors that underlie myriad other wind-farm battles in Ontario. This quarrel centres on territory and which aboriginal group has the right to an economic share of the 60-megawatt project and its guaranteed cash flow under Ontario's green-energy program.
For Batchewana, the stakes are high. The first nation, which includes about 2,500 members, has a 50-per-cent stake in the $240-million wind farm, which has been in the works since 2007. Once the Bow Lake energy project is connected to the power grid, it is projected to deliver $2-million annually for nearly two decades to the Batchewana community, money that Chief Dean Sayers said will be used to address local needs, such as housing and economic development.
The Anishinabek's opposition, which surfaced publicly last week, could delay the project's construction and lead to financial penalties for missed deadlines, Mr. Sayers said.
"We're really concerned with this 11th-hour move," said Mr. Sayers, noting the two aboriginal groups have generally had a good relationship. "This is the first time I recall in the history of our community that there has been this rift."
Anishinabek's Northern Superior Chiefs passed a resolution last week opposing the wind farm's construction, claiming the project falls within their traditional territory (near Michipicoten first nation) and native leaders haven't been adequately consulted.
In a statement, Michipicoten Chief Joe Buckell warned "direct action by the Northern Superior Chiefs will take place" if the wind project moves forward.
