The Algonquins of Barriere Lake are Asking for Your Help and Solidarity.
Circle the evening of Saturday March 11 to meet, share a chili meal, and find out more about the Algonquins’ struggle to resist mining exploration and build a sustainable way of life.
Saturday March 11
5:00 PM at First United Church
347 Richmond Road in Westboro.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/event
Poster: https://organizingforjustice.c
The Algonquins of Barriere Lake (ABL) are our regional neighbours living in the Ottawa and Gatineau River watershed in Quebec. They have never ceded their land nor do they wish to leave their traditional, land-based way of living. Already, resource grabbing has caused them serious loss of forests.
Now, Copper One, a company financed and directed by the Forbes Manhatten Group, has staked claims on some of ABL’s lands (the Riviere Dore mining prospect) for copper mining. The company is pressing for permission from the Quebec government to clear access roads and do exploratory drilling. The drilling is polluting and if enough copper and other minerals are found for a mine, there would be devastating disruption of the land and water in a large area.
The Barriere Lake Defense team is hosting an evening of a chili supper, entertainment and, most important, a “teach in” about the history and current situation at ABL. We are asking leaders from the ABL community, legal advisors, representatives from Mining Watch and other informed supporters to tell the story and explain the urgency. We invite you to come and listen, discuss and ask questions of the community.
We hope to fill the hall with encouragement from you as well as help with the legal fees through a suggested donation of $20 (or more) for the evening.
Please come on Saturday, March 11 at 5:00, at First United Church, 347 Richmond Rd. in Westboro.
For more information, contact Joyce Hardman at jhardman@rogers.com or Joan Kuyek at joankuyek@sympatico.ca
To donate online now in support of Barriere Lake's efforts, please use paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin
For the latest updates, please visit the website:
http://www.barrierelakesolidar
Sign up for the email announcement list, and 'like' the Facebook page, via the website
Montreal event :
Brunch and Blockades : A screening over brunch of two short movies about the Algonquins of Barriere Lake
For months, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake have been maintaining a land protection camp on their territory, located a few hours North-West of Montreal. In September 2016, the community learned that junior mining company Copper One planned to begin exploratory drilling in the heart of their territory, without consultation or consent. They responded by setting-up an indefinite land-defence camp. In recent weeks, the company's claim has been suspended due to "public safety concerns," however, Copper One is bringing the government to court to contest the suspension and to continue their mining project. The Algonquins of Barriere Lake have insisted that no mining projects will happen on their territory, especially Copper One's proposed project because it will have a direct impact on the community's culture and drinking water.
To learn about the community and their history of struggle, come see the 1989 documentary Blockade : Algonquins Defend the Forest (27 minutes), and the 2014 documentary Honour Your Word (one hour).
When? : Sunday, March 12th, 2pm
Where? : L'Auditoire, 5214 Saint Laurent Blvd
Admission? : Free.
Childcare will be offered on site. The space in accessible to wheelchairs and the toilets are gender-neutral. The films are in English with French subtitles and whispered translation to Spanish will be available.
This even is part of Israeli Apartheid Week. We encourage you to check out the week's programming.
About the films :
Honour Your Word is an intimate portrait of life behind the barricades for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, an inspiring First Nation whose dignity and courage contrast sharply with the political injustice they face. (2014, 60 minutes)
Blockade follows the Barriere Lake Algonquins as they take on the government and the logging industry in a struggle to save their hunting grounds and way of life. (1989, 27 minutes)
