Mushkegowuk signs historic agreement with the Canadian government
It was a historic day in Moose Factory, Ont., as the Mushkegowuk Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Canadian government.
The MOU will launch a feasibility study for a proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in the western James Bay and southwestern Hudson Bay shorelines within Ontario.
The agreement involved a visit from Canada's environment minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, who was also given a tour of the community.
"It's an enormous area. It's about 92,000 square kilometres and an incredibly important area from an ecosystem perspective," Wilkinson said. "From polar bears and beluga whales and a whole range of other species, but I think really the most important thing about this is that this is about the assertion of Indigenous leadership."
The idea was community-led and it was the Mushkegowuk Council who approached Parks Canada to make this become a reality.
A steering committee will be established to guide a feasibility assessment which includes representatives from both Parks Canada and Mushkegowuk Council.
Dialogue and consultations will take place within communities, interim funding from the government will also allow for a traditional knowledge study on marine and coastal use, traditional place names, and important species.
The process will also aim to quantify the large amounts of carbon sequestered in the marine ecosystem, which could exacerbate climate change.
"It's quite the historic day, a milestone I'll call it to where we're at today to study the bays' waters, out on the James and Hudson Bay and also to study the vegetation, the fish, the birds and also the protection part of it is quite surmountable," Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon said.
Solomon said he's excited about the project and how it'll look at protecting their way of life and their livelihoods.
Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon. Aug. 9/21 (Ian Campbell/CTV Northern Ontario)
"We're very fortunate for Parks Canada and the minister of environment came to our table and they were very supportive of the idea of protecting the waters of the bays," the chief said.
Part of the project will be finding a socio-economic balance to ensure the quality of life isn't negatively impacted.
"Trying to find a balance in regards to looking at eco-friendly, economic opportunities, but the most important part, is protecting it," Solomon said.
"Hopefully we can find ways to make life more affordable for people who live there. There are ways for us to make environmental contributions even in those kinds of spaces like requiring low-carbon fuels," Wilkinson said.
The whole process is expected to be finished within the next three years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.