Winnipeg Free Press > Latest News > No plans for RCMP to intervene in Wuskwatim dam blockade

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No plans for RCMP to intervene in Wuskwatim dam blockade

By: Aldo Santin

14/08/2009 12:40 PM | Comments: 82

WINNIPEG - Protesters blocking access to the Wuskwatim dam site have allowed 18 workers to leave but are still blocking entry to the area.

RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish said officers are at the scene and do not plan to intervene as long as it remains peaceful.

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"The blockade is actually on a private road, it’s not on Highway 391," Karpish said. "So the motoring public is not being affected."

Karpish said the RCMP has not been asked to intervene in the dispute, adding negotiations are taking place with the protesters and the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

The blockade, consisting of protesters, vehicles and logs, was set up Thursday, keeping about 880 Manitoba Hydro workers inside the work camp. The work site is located about 45 kilometres southwest of Thompson on the Burntwood River. The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, formerly known as the Nelson House band, is located close to the dam site.

The blockade organizers are protesting the lack of NCN members employed at the site.

NCN chief Jimmy Moore said over the noon hour that there’s been no progress in the dispute but added he expects to meet with Hydro officials at the blockade before the end of the day.

"We’ll be meeting with officials at Hydro who can make decisions before the sun goes down," Moore said. "This is just an employment issue that needs to be addressed."

The $1.3 billion dam project is a partnership between Manitoba Hydro and NCN. When completed, NCN has an opportunity to acquire a 33 per cent stake in the project.

Included in the partnership agreement between NCN and Manitoba Hydro are employment provisions which give hiring priority to qualified NCN members before other aboriginals and non-aboriginals.

Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider said of the 880 workers on the site now, 44 are from NCN and 32 per cent of the total workforce —283 workers — are aboriginal.

Since the project began in August 2006, Hydro says that 2,554 hires, half have been aboriginal and 424 workers, 17 per cent, have been from NCN.

Both Moore and Schneider said they would not be asking the RCMP to intervene, preferring to let the issue be settled by discussion and negotiation.

"I can’t tell the RCMP what to do but they’ve been asked only to monitor the situation, that there is no violence," Moore said.

Schneider said the utility will not ask the RCMP to intervene in the dispute, adding he expects the standoff will end through peaceful negotiations between the protestors and the band.

"I know in these circumstances the RCMP do not want to act quickly," Schneider said. "I think they want to resolve the situation through negotiations, discussions."

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Friday, August 14, 2009 at 10:59 AM CDT:
Updates with extra detail, quotes

Updated on Friday, August 14, 2009 at 12:41 PM CDT:
Updates with new information and comments from RCMP.

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82 Commentscomment icon

I think binding agreements should be honored. Starting with the treaties right down to the Northern Flood agreement
If the government lived up to their end of the agreements. there would not be blockades and protests.
I also think people should eduacate themselves about first nations people and issues before they make comments. Most of the comments like free education is a complete myth. Come on Canada learn about our true history!!!

CarpenterD gives us a true report of the complaint.
Where the heck is the Free Press report on "its a labour dispute"?
Such incomplete reporting is so common in the papers , one wonders when the government will pass a law to give us access to the other side.
I asssume that the free press reporter couldn't do a little digging for the complete story? That is why I stopped buying the paper.

How much can be tacked on to the cost of any project due to the most qualified persons being excluded. This is very hard to determine. Especially if the non qualified person uses their opportunity to be trained and becomes a good worker. There is a value to that, but not realized immediately.
Perhaps they can get to the fully qualified level and also be excluded in their future.

Should be the best person qualified for the job should get the job. But when you have all these government affirmative action programs this is what you get. What would happen if I blockaded a road? This is why you would never want to do buisness up north.

Hey crazy33, all natives have access to education (for free), housing, medical care, and the land that we (caucasians) have to pay for, as far as not all natives have access if you follow the protocol you are allowed to it. As far as for jobs on a site like Wuskwatim you need some training, as basic as some safety training you can't just have any one and everyone running around. So my advice to anyone (native or not) that wishes to work on that kind of site, go get some education, get experience prove your work ethics, be responsible and dependable and your chances or getting a job will increase. Hydro would love to hire northern natives and northern manitobans first (less travel checks to write) but they need to get good dependable working people. it's not a race thing it's the fact that they need this dam built properly in a timely and safe matter so they won't need to re-do the whole job!!! COMMON SENSE PEOPLE!!!

"how many times over, does the govt have to pay over and over for land? like wow. this has been going for a century. why cant i claim land, say it was my great great great gand daddy's"

Becuase we never finished paying for it, we never lived up to the agreements.

Why can;t you claim your grand daddys land? Well if you had a legal contract saying you could, you could. In this case we have a legal agreement. They have a legal agreement. Your right is been actually over 200 years. Why have we not finished paying for the land? Why have we not concluded the agreements. Why have we not lived up to our agreements. Don't go pointing your finger at the people who just want what was promised.

Motherof2 you bought land that has not been paid for. Its not your issue its the governments issue.

Just because you where born in 1972 does not forgive the government of the fact they still OWE.

Its so convenient that we say oh that happened a long time ago... its not our issue. It is our issue it is our government. There is a reason the world courts and the UN have ruled against us as Canadians for how we treat the aboriginals.

Cptkirk

Step up and give back? Hello, they still have not been paid for what we got? Its not about 200 years ago its not about 50 its about today.

We as Canadians, have land property and rights, this was purchased, from the first nations. Sadly, we never paid up, we never finished paying, we never lived up to our agreements.

How can you now say for them to step up and pay?

Its like this.

You buy a house, you agree to pay

You don't make all your payments

The bank gets upset

You then try and tell the bank they have to step up you have given them lots....

*boogle* Racism runs strong still... you would think we are in the deep south

Funny how the Free Press keep editing my comments, I must seem racist? Wow, so not agreeing with Aboriginals protesting every stupid thing because they want preferential treatment is racism? I think my company should pay me 70,000 a year because I'm white. Never mind that maybe I'm not qualified. No, I'm white and therefore I want a better job. Hydro wouldn't even look at my resume as it stands now, (and I'm white), because *NEWSFLASH* I'M NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITIONS THEY OFFER! Welcome to a Capitalist society. Editor's note: If you contravene the terms and conditions, your comments will be edited or rejected.

Motherof2 is exactly right. It's time that the aboriginals step up and start giving back to the Canadian population. I'm sorry, but what happened 200 years ago and even up to 50 years ago was tragic to the aboriginal people, but we need to move on from there. I don't agree with paying out royalty because they are entitled it by virtue of their birth right, so I don't understand why it would be applicable to other people. Education, yes, medical coverage yes - just the same as every other Canadian, but also paying taxes and having to purchase & maintain homes and other various expenses everyone else has to undertake.

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