In the wake of a dramatic ceremony in Shoal Lake this week, the Council of Canadians has launched a letter-writing campaign calling for the federal government to pay its share and end a century of isolation for Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.
Shoal Lake 40 has been landlocked since 1914, when reserve land was expropriated to build an aquaduct that pipes Shoal Lake's water 150 kilometres into Winnipeg. Many people have drowned crossing the channel during the freeze and thaw. The First Nation near the Ontario/Manitoba border has also been under a boil-water advisory for 18 years.
Staff at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Amnesty International and the Council of Canadians have all labelled the situation a violation of human rights.
Then at a ceremony in Shoal Lake on Thursday, Manitoba and Winnipeg each committed to fund a third of "Freedom Road," which would upgrade the winter trail between the first nation and the TransCanada Highway into an all-weather access road. Instead of announcing matching federal funds for the road's construction, Kenora's Conservative MP Greg Rickford announced $1 million to plan the road, money which was allocated more than a year ago.
The national press reported tears from Shoal Lake 40 community members upon hearing the announcement. Rickford left the event early, refusing to take media questions.
The Council's energy and climate campaigner, Andrea Harden-Donahue called the federal lack of commitment "shameful," as she urged citizens to write directly to the Prime Minister's Office.
"We feel this is a straight-forward case of human rights violations. That's why we're seeing such a big response to this," she said. "I think the federal government is going to have to be forced to commit to Freedom Road. I don't see any other ending but this road being built for Shoal Lake 40. I think the community has waited long enough."
