Huge land withdrawal catches KI off guard

The Ontario government says its recent land withdrawal near Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) will help avoid future disagreements like the ongoing conflict between God’s Lake Resources and KI.
The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines announced Mar. 4 that it has withdrawn 23,181 square kilometers “in the vicinity of KI” from prospecting and mine claim staking.
But KI Chief Donny Morris said the land withdrawal caught his community off guard, considering that negotiations between the First Nation and Ontario over land claims broke down months ago.
“I think they jumped ahead of us,” Morris said. “It should be a historical event when you withdraw that much land. There should have been meetings about it. But we were caught off guard.”
In a notice posted to the ministry’s website, the government stated that the land withdrawal will “give clarity to the province’s mineral exploration industry and avoid future disagreements over the land in question.”
The withdrawal does not affect God’s Lake Resources mining claim at Sherman Lake, which has become a flashpoint for conflict between KI, the government and the company.
God’s Lake, a junior gold mining company, plans to restart exploration work at the site this month despite ongoing protests from KI.
KI’s chief said that since the land withdrawal does not stop God’s Lake Resources from its planned exploration work at Sherman Lake, the government needs to go back to the drawing board and work with the First Nation on an appropriate land use plan.
A spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines said that the government remains committed to resolving the issue between God’s Lake Resources and KI, but that the government has so far had no success in “facilitating communication between KI and God’s Lake.”
“Our ministry is continuing discussions with God’s Lake Resources with a view to arriving at an agreement that balances company, community and provincial interests,” said Adrian Kupesic in an email response.