Churchill River
Muskrat Falls
(larger version)
Status Update - March 2008
The LMN attended meetings with the Province and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency in Halifax January 2008. These two government departments and the LMN are having continued discussion on what is acceptable consultation on the Lower Churchill Project.
President Chris Montague held a round of community consultations to gather feedback on the Churchill River Project from the membership.
This feedback as well as the documentation prepared by expert consultants, LMN staff and legal council were used to prepare comments on the EIS Guidelines put out by the province and the CEAA.
The LMN and representatives from ESS Support Services met with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro in February 2008. The purpose of this meeting was to present MDC's support services and to lay out the LMN's mandate as derived from the community meetings - that an IBA must be established or the members of the LMN would oppose the project.
The LMN will continue discussions and negotiations with the Province, CEAA and NL Hydro to ensure that the Inuit-Metis of Labrador are included in the development of their own backyard.
President Chris Montague held a round of community consultations to gather feedback on the Churchill River Project from the membership.
This feedback as well as the documentation prepared by expert consultants, LMN staff and legal council were used to prepare comments on the EIS Guidelines put out by the province and the CEAA.
The LMN and representatives from ESS Support Services met with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro in February 2008. The purpose of this meeting was to present MDC's support services and to lay out the LMN's mandate as derived from the community meetings - that an IBA must be established or the members of the LMN would oppose the project.
The LMN will continue discussions and negotiations with the Province, CEAA and NL Hydro to ensure that the Inuit-Metis of Labrador are included in the development of their own backyard.
Local groups boycott hydro workshop
JENNY MCCARTHY
The Labradorian
May 9, 2008
Local interest groups made a statement without saying a word last Tuesday as they boycotted a workshop set up by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
The Labrador Métis Nation, Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc. and the Protected Areas Association did not attend the meeting, scheduled at Hotel North.
Each group gave similar reasons as to why they choose not to go.
Hydro gave the groups only three days to prepare for the meeting, they allocated only two hours for the workshop, and the workshop was held in the morning on a workday.
The groups were also not happy about the meeting being closed to the public; the notice stressed 'invitation only'.
The Central Labrador Environmental Network was one group that didn't get an invitation.
They didn't boycott the workshop but executive director Frank Russell said he still thought the short notice was unfair.
"Three days just doesn't seem like enough time," he said.
Chris Montague, president of the Labrador Métis Nation said he also felt that the meeting was too soon and too quick.
"If we are going to have a meaningful consultation we would need more time to prepare the groundwork," he said.
Clarice Rudkowski, Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc., a non-profit group that deals with river concerns, said the workshop was only scheduled after it was suggested to Hydro representatives at a previous meeting. That was on May 20. Hydro had originally only scheduled a meeting for St. John's.
Ms. Rudkowski said she felt people who were most impacted by the project should have both been offered a meeting and they should have been offered that meeting before any meeting in St. John's were to take place.
"We were really amazed because here they were basically discussing our future without inviting us."
She also said that the two hours was not nearly enough time for a serious workshop. They usually last a day or two.
This and the fact that three days was not nearly enough time for everyone to get out of work or appointments led Ms. Rudkowski and many others to intentionally stay away.
Leona Barrington, a spokesperson for Hydro said some people did go to the meeting despite the boycott.
And to those who felt the workshop was unfair she offered the reassurance that there would be plenty of other opportunities to meet. She couldn't say a time or date, as neither has yet been set.
reporter@thelabradorian.ca
The Labradorian
May 9, 2008
Local interest groups made a statement without saying a word last Tuesday as they boycotted a workshop set up by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.
The Labrador Métis Nation, Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc. and the Protected Areas Association did not attend the meeting, scheduled at Hotel North.
Each group gave similar reasons as to why they choose not to go.
Hydro gave the groups only three days to prepare for the meeting, they allocated only two hours for the workshop, and the workshop was held in the morning on a workday.
The groups were also not happy about the meeting being closed to the public; the notice stressed 'invitation only'.
The Central Labrador Environmental Network was one group that didn't get an invitation.
They didn't boycott the workshop but executive director Frank Russell said he still thought the short notice was unfair.
"Three days just doesn't seem like enough time," he said.
Chris Montague, president of the Labrador Métis Nation said he also felt that the meeting was too soon and too quick.
"If we are going to have a meaningful consultation we would need more time to prepare the groundwork," he said.
Clarice Rudkowski, Grand Riverkeeper Labrador Inc., a non-profit group that deals with river concerns, said the workshop was only scheduled after it was suggested to Hydro representatives at a previous meeting. That was on May 20. Hydro had originally only scheduled a meeting for St. John's.
Ms. Rudkowski said she felt people who were most impacted by the project should have both been offered a meeting and they should have been offered that meeting before any meeting in St. John's were to take place.
"We were really amazed because here they were basically discussing our future without inviting us."
She also said that the two hours was not nearly enough time for a serious workshop. They usually last a day or two.
This and the fact that three days was not nearly enough time for everyone to get out of work or appointments led Ms. Rudkowski and many others to intentionally stay away.
Leona Barrington, a spokesperson for Hydro said some people did go to the meeting despite the boycott.
And to those who felt the workshop was unfair she offered the reassurance that there would be plenty of other opportunities to meet. She couldn't say a time or date, as neither has yet been set.
reporter@thelabradorian.ca