Evolving First Nation, Industrial, & Governmental Relations To Fresh New Levels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 BACKGROUND:

·         The Algonquin Coalition began the struggle in late August of this year and has met a steady barrage of what it calls “George Bush / Mike Harris” style tactics from Jean Charest Quebec Government. 

·         Quebec hand picks a Mediator from the Quebec Court system, and unilaterally drafts his mandate, and imposes him upon the Algonquin’s,

·  The Quebec “Mediator” met the Algonquin’s one time before making his recommendations, to make introductions and meet the community people.  No mediation was conducted.

·        On November 4^th, Quebec brought in it’s special Riot Team from Montreal (some 700 km’s away) after it claimed that the Algonquin’s refused the recommendation's of Quebec’s self appointed Mediator. 

·         In a gesture of good faith, the Algonquin’s decided that it would be best to allow the movement of Forestry Workers and their equipment through its “Check Point, but warned Quebec and Domtar that they needed to come to a diplomatic solution before the Check Point would be completely lifted, fostering the transportation of some 800,000 trees clear cut and stockpiled in the forest by Domtar during the summer. 

·     The Algonquin’s offered Quebec multiple solutions that were built around their Mediators recommendation’s and that would have seen the Check Point lifted, and all the wood transported to the mills long before November 22, 2004.

·         Finally, The Algonquin’s deposited a proposal to Quebec’s Negotiator on November 20^th that consisted of Quebec’s Mediators recommendation’s and the already agreed to inclusion of observer’s at the table,

·    The Algonquin’s essentially had agreed to follow the recommendations of the governments Mediator, and simply asked them to follow the mediators own recommendation of signing a letter to this effect before lifting the Check Point.

·         As Quebec’s Negotiator had just been mandated the file that on November 20^th, he needed Monday November 22^nd this week to become familiar with the file.

·      While expecting to finalize the proposal in a matter of hours with Quebec’s Negotiator on November 22^nd, as it virtually represented what Quebec said the Algonquin’s refused two weeks earlier, Domtar mobilizes their Log Trucks to force the issue.

·         The Algonquin’s meet Domtar on the morning of the attack to ensure that they are properly informed, and to explain the file clearly to Domtar asking them to see the unnecessary danger in their action.

·         The Algonquin’s ask Domtar to stop the log trucks for two day’s and to help them during that time to finalize the arrangement with Quebec,

·         Later that Morning Domtar refuses the offer of the Aboriginals and tells them that they are on their own.

 FACTS:

• Domtar and its competitors clear cut some 10,000,000 trees  on the territories of the two aboriginal communities.
• Domtar has not participated in the discussion’s since they began in August, despite being asked to by the Algonquin’s,
• In 2001, Quebec’s Auditor General has warned Quebec’s National Assembly that their forests are in disarray, and drastic action needed to be taken,
• The Algonquin Coalition consists of the Anishnabe Nation of Lac Simon, and the Long Point First Nation,
• Between them they represent some 2,000 members of the 8,500 Algonquin’s in Western Quebec

Source:

Mr. Jean Cotten, Chief of Communications

819-949-2298 / 819-722-2441

819-722-2579 FAX   www.forevergreen.ca/news.htm

For More Information Contact:

For Evergreen Innovative Strategies Inc.
138 3rd Street West, P.O. Box 1957,  Cochrane, Ontario
Tel: 705-272-8564
FAX: 705-272-4816
Email: admn@forevergreen.ca

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