[IPSM] Cree defeat SNC

[hhazel at gmail.com]

Cree defeat ballistics testing plan: Province shoots down company's
proposal after trappers raise environmental concerns

STEVE BONSPIEL
Montreal Gazette
Thursday 28 July 2005

http://www.waswanipi.com


Two years after SNC Technologies announced a proposal to build a
105-millimetre ballistics testing range for the military in northern
Quebec, the provincial government made an announcement of its own -
thanks, but no thanks.

The shells would have been exploding in the wilderness near the Cree
community of Waswanipi, about 700 kilometres north of Montreal.

There were fears the range would have had an impact on the Cree
tallymen and the animals they hunt on traplines in the area. The
trappers worried that, because of the noise, some of the animals would
disappear during the 30-year project.

"The provincial administrator has refused the project," said Brian
Craik, who represents the northern Quebec Cree on the Comite d'examen,
or COMEX, which is made up of three representatives appointed by
Quebec and two appointed by the Cree nation. The announcement came
late yesterday.

COMEX studies proposals that will affect the Cree territory and
evaluates their economic merit, the impact they will have on the land
and the overall logistics of the developments.

"This decision is right for that area," Craik said. "The project
didn't create employment and the people didn't want it, so it made
sense to reject it. It wasn't a big winner for anyone there."

SNC Technologies had proposed to operate the testing range for NATO
nations and the Canadian Forces. The company could not be reached for comment.

Clement Tremblay, chairperson of COMEX, reiterated Craik's comments.

"We made a recommendation to the administrator last March against the
project and two days ago they informed SNC Tech that the project would
not go through," he said.

"The main reason was contamination of the water and soil. We also
thought they were asking for too large a piece of land. They were
asking for 400 square kilometres. Even though they said they wouldn't
use it all, there was a fear that they would use more in the future,"
he said.

"We never received the approval of the band council, either," he said.
 "There were also very few jobs for the region that came with it."

The decision is final.

"I think it's certainly a battle that's been won," said Sam Gull, the
Waswanipi band council's chief administrator. "We were always hopeful
that the decision would be in the favour of the tallymen. We're going
to have quite a few happy people in Waswanipi."

Roderick Rabbitskin of CBC North contributed to this report

http://www.waswanipi.com