Written by Brenden Harris on Friday, 23 August 2013

Organizations including Amnesty International and the Council of Canadians are calling for the province to make a commitement to Grassy Narrows. They say they have yet to receive a response from letters that were sent in June, which called for an end to logging permits on Grassy Narrows traditional lands in the Whiskey Jack Forest. 

The First Nation has had a blockade in place for more than a decade, in an effort to protect land that was traditionally used for hunting and trapping. J.B. Fobister of Grassy Narrows says it’s dissapointing to see the lack of dialouge regarding the issue.

“I’m dissapointed. After Kathleen Wynne came to our community and made some provinces and those promises never came true. I guess this is evidence that she wasn’t serious about what she said,” he said.

Fobister also says a decision from the Ministry of Natural Resources to include the Whiskey Jack in it’s plans for the future has caused some concerns.

“The biggest issue has been clear cutting, and we see in the long-term management direction that clear-cutting is going to be the way to harvest,” he said.

He says they’re prepared to continue to fight for their cause as long as they can.