Mulcair pledges to build Shoal Lake’s Freedom Road

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This article was published 20/08/2015 (3712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair pledged to build a highway to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and work with Treaty One bands on Kapyong Barracks instead of taking them to court.

First Nations issues like those were front-and-centre at Mulcair’s first Winnipeg campaign rally Thursday evening, which brought at least 800 New Democrats together for what turned into an unexpectedly large and raucous event.

Things turned tense shortly into Mulcair’s stump speech when a dozen anti-pipeline activists hoisted hand-made signs and shouted at the NDP leader, demanding he oppose the Energy East pipeline. Among the loudest were Alex Paterson of the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition and Clayton Thomas-Muller, an indigenous activist and organizer with the climate change group 350.org.

“You can be a responsible climate leader and clarify your position on Energy East,” shouted Thomas-Muller at Mulcair.

Mulcair responded with some zingers, saying at one point he comes from a family of 10 so he’s used to the noise.

“Listen, I’m willing to put up with your screaming, but I’m talking about First Nations,” said Mulcair at another point. “Could you show a little bit of respect?”

Some New Democrats shouted back at the duo, begging them to shut up. One elderly party member momentarily tried to shout “NDP” in Paterson’s face, but a plain-clothed RCMP officer gently backed him away.

Mulcair repeated many of his campaign themes, including his pledge to create a universal child care program, and earned applause when he highlighted the recent revelations of Sen. Mike Duffy’s bribery trial.

“Each day of the trial it’s becoming less and less credible that the prime minister did not know,” said Mulcair of the $90,000 payment made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff.

Mulcair accused Harper of spending millions fighting indigenous communities in court, including four Manitoba bands seeking a say in the fate of the vacant Kapyong Barracks. Last week, the Federal Court of Appeal again ruled in favour of the bands, admonishing Ottawa to begin negotiations. Mulcair said he would not appeal that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, as some fear the Conservatives will do.

“I’ll work with First Nations, not fight them in court,” said Mulcair. “I will usher in a new era.”

Mulcair also pledged to find the $10 million in federal funding needed to build a highway to the island First Nation of Shoal Lake 40, from where Winnipeg’s drinking water comes. Shoal Lake has been isolated by Winnipeg’s aqueduct for a century and under a boil-water advisory for nearly 20 years.

But Mulcair’s pledge prompted more taunts from the anti-pipeline activists.

Dan Lett: NDP’s carefully crafted pipeline policy will only face more attacks

“Protect Winnipeg’s water, Tom,” shouted Paterson, adding the Energy East pipeline travels under Winnipeg’s aqueduct.

TransCanada is seeking approval to convert an existing natural gas pipeline into one that can carry oil from Alberta to eastern refineries.

As Mulcair was speaking in French about the legacy of Indian residential schools, he broke off to address the protesters.

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“If you need me to translate as I go along, I will because the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is really a little more important than you.”

Thursday night’s visit was Mulcair’s first to Winnipeg since Harper dropped with writ nearly three weeks ago, and since November, when Mulcair was in town for a child-care conference.

The NDP is not spending much political capital in Manitoba, where it holds two seats and is only targeting one more — Elmwood-Transcona, where Daniel Blaikie, an electrician with a master’s degree in philosophy, has strong labour support and the backing of some NDP heavyweights such as former provincial secretary and veteran backroom strategist Wayne Copeland. Blaikie introduced Mulcair at Thursday night’s rally at the RBC Convention Centre.

The NDP is riding high in national polls but running third in Manitoba, dragged down by the unpopularity of the Selinger government. Premier Greg Selinger did not attended Thursday’s rally. He planned to meet Mulcair privately afterwards.

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca