NIPIGON, ON — Motorists travelling across the Nipigon River Bridge will encounter a demonstration and a slowdown Wednesday afternoon.
Starting at noon, representatives of area First Nations and municipalities will gather near the Highway 11 and Highway 17 junction to show their concerns over caribou conservation plans.
They believe government efforts to protect the woodland caribou population will harm communities by restricting traditional access and blocking forestry operations.
During the two-hour demonstration, participants will reduce traffic over the bridge to one lane in each direction while they distribute information leaflets to motorists.
Chief Matthew Dupuis of the Red Rock Indian Band says Ontario Provincial Police have been notified about the protest.
Dupuis will be joined at the demonstration by Wendy Landry, president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and mayor of Shuniah.
Other area Chiefs and Mayors will also attend.
The protest is expected to last for about two hours.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Dupuis also said First Nations in the Nipigon/Red Rock area have ended their involvement in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's planning process for the Lake Nipigon forest.
The statement said First Nations will not participate "until proper information sharing and meaningful consultation" regarding Ontario's woodland caribou conservation plan has taken place.
"We're tired of having policies and procedures forced upon us...we're not going to sit idle and participate in a process that will negatively impact our forest," Dupuis added.
