[IPSM] Re: Cree defeat SNC

[hhazel at gmail.com]

Thanks so much, Gretchen, that's great news!
How did the review go yesterday?  I came by to attend the meeting, but
saw that Salma was with you and didn't want to crowd.  If there's any
other tasks i can take on while you're away, please let me know.

dan

On 8/4/05, hhazel at gmail.com <hhazel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>