| Second Lake Winnipeg Channel: No First Nation Consent | 15 August 15 |
Manitoba First Nation leaders are angry with a $495-million plan to build flood outlets, arguing that governments still haven't dealt with damages from the 2011 flood that displaced thousands of First Nations people. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says while it's not opposed to flood diversion projects, the provincial and federal governments should help flood victims — some of whom are still out of their homes, four years later — before spending money on new projects. Grand Chief Derek Nepinak sent a letter to Premier Greg Selinger Tuesday, August 11, 2015, advising him the AMC would not support the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Project and invited him to address the organization. The response from Nepinak and the affected First Nations comes less than two weeks after the federal government announced $165 million -- and the province $330 million -- to fund the channel project. "What you can see by packaging the federal money with the provincial money and announcing a half-a-billion-dollar investment it's a politically expedient way to try to shore up votes," Nepinak said Wednesday at a rally outside the Legislative Building. "The tragedies that have unfolded here in the Interlake, they're more than a politically expedient matter to be dealt with at the whim of politicians." "The federal government, the provincial government are going to try and put a channel through without settling outstanding claims lawfully owed to our communities. We're not going to stand for it," Nepinak said. The affected First Nations seek full compensation payments for 2011 damage before any more water engineering projects. Manitoba government commitments for environmental studies and aboriginal consultation remain outstanding for both channels.
View August 12, 2015 Aboriginal Peoples Television Network article |
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