After enduring nearly 50 years of harm arising from a massive hydropower project constructed against their wishes, O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation (OPCN), along with two related community associations, filed a statement of claim in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench on May 19, 2023.
For more information about their legal claim click here
For more information about the CRD click here
Manitoba Elections, Hydro, & Change: Film Screening and Energy Forum
Join us on September 28th at Eckhardt Gramatté Hall at the University of Winnipeg from 6-8:30pm for a film screening of Augmented Flow: Licence to Destroy by Leslie Dysart, CEO of the Community Association of South Indian Lake. The film will be screened alongside “My Mum, She Wanted to Eat Fish” by the late Elder Noah Massan and the event will feature a discussion of energy and hydro in Manitoba and the upcoming election. Representatives from the major political parties have been invited to participate in this important discussion. From the NDP Party we will be joined by Ian Bushie, MLA and candidate for Keewatinook. From the Liberal Party we will be joined by Dr. Jon Gerrard, MLA and candidate for River Heights. From the Green Party Janine Gibson, MLA and candidate for Wolseley will be joining us.
Tea and Bannock will be served after the event.
Norway House Cree Nation has been experiencing unprecedented erosion along 2-Mile and 8-Mile channels that were constructed by Manitoba Hydro in the 1970s as part of the Lake Winnipeg Regulation Project.
The nation was met with silence throughout 2022 when reaching out to Manitoba Hydro and the Province for assistance in dealing with this crisis. They are only now coming to the table to start a conversation after more than six months of stalling.
Manitoba Hydro needs to take responsibility for the erosion problem at 2 Mile Channel and come up with an engineered solution in real time to prevent future damage.
For more information about the impacts of hydro-related erosion on Norway House Cree Nation, please click here
Join us in writing to the our political representatives and ManitobaHydro executives to voice your concern and to recommend that immediate action be taken.
In Canada, polluting industries, resource extraction, and other environmental threats are disproportionally situated in and around Indigenous and racialized communities.This reality is not an unintended consequence of development or resource extraction, instead these are deliberate decisions that in many cases reflect the creation of “sacrifice zones” that are largely out of sight and out of mind from the general public.
Bill C-226 will require government to develop a national strategy to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism. This includes examining the links between race, socio-economic status and environmental risks.
Right now, Bill C-226 is awaiting its second reading. Advocates for social justice and equity, environmental protection, and public health are concerned the Bill will get stalled in Senate and are urging the Senate to refer Bill C-226 to committee as soon as possible.
Learn more about Bill C-226:
Learn more about Environmental Racism:
Once BillC-226 has been referred to committee any individual can submit a brief that will be circulated to all Committee members. Learn how to submit a brief.
