Constance Lake looking to stop drilling

Constance Lake First Nation wants a court injunction to stop mineral exploration drilling in its traditional territory.
“This land is at the core of our cultural and spiritual being as a people,” said Constance Lake Chief Arthur Moore. “We are deeply concerned that drilling and other exploration activity will cause irreparable harm to our cultural sites, our rights, and our relationship to the land.”
The community filed the court motion seeking to stop mineral exploration company Zenyatta Ventures Ltd. from doing further exploration drilling in the an area northwest of Hearst. The company has claims, the Albany Claims, covering 300,000 acres. The motion hearing is scheduled for April 29 in Toronto.
Constance Lake noted in an April 28 press release that Zenyatta went onto the community’s traditional territory in early April and started drilling without notifying or consulting community.
“All mining and mineral exploration companies need to know that while Constance Lake First Nation does not oppose this kind of activity in our traditional territory, such activity can only happen if it is done right,” Moore said. “This means our rights and the land and our relationship to the land need to be fully respected.”
Zenyatta announced the start of a 20,000 metre drill program in the Albany Project in a Feb. 28 press release.
“The company is excited to get its first drill program started in a new frontier we call the Albany Project, said Aubrey Eveleigh, Zenyatta’s president and CEO. “We have many high priority geophysical targets to test in 2011 and look forward to the drill results over the coming weeks and months.”
Constance Lake is concerned because the Albany Claims overlaps an area known as the Heartland, which is used by community members for hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering plants for medicine and food, and many other traditional cultural uses. The community also said the area contains sacred sites, including burial sites.
Constance Lake is planning a demonstration May 2 about 80 kilometres west of the community on Hwy. 11, where the Pagwachuan River crosses the highway.
“We cannot allow our rights – including to meaningful consultation and accommodation — to be unilaterally steamrolled,” Moore said. “We therefore are forced to bring this legal action and to assert our rightful place in this world through our planned demonstration. But we are more than open to negotiating fair accommodation measures if Zenyatta and the Crown would do the honourable thing and cease the drilling in the mean time. So far they have refused to do this.”
A Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry spokeswoman said the ministry is actively monitoring the situation and continues to offer assistance to both Zenyatta and Constance Lake to help resolve the situation.
“Until recently, the company and the community both reported a positive working relationship,” said Aly Vitunski, policy advisor – mining with MNDMF, in an e-mail reply. “Ministry staff are working hard with both Constance Lake First Nations and Zenyatta to restore that relationship and achieve a solution that all parties can support, while ensuring that any duty to consult arising from this project has been met.”
Vitunski said the ministry will continue to support both parties in their attempts at finding a mutually agreeable solution to the issue.
“Ontario’s role is to ensure that any mining development proceeds with balanced decisions reflecting the broader social, environmental and economic interests of northern Ontario as a whole,” Vitunski said.
A company official said Zenyatta would respond later.