Three northern Ont. communities to run provincial park
The Ontario government has announced a partnership with three northern Ontario communities to operate a provincial park near Elliot Lake.
The goal of the partnership is to include the history of the park’s long-standing Indigenous heritage.
In a statement, Chief Bob Chiblow of Mississauga First Nation said those who visit the park will “gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the Anishinaabe culture when they leave.”
Chief Brent Bissaillon of Serpent River First Nation said there are a number of historical sites in the park.
“We’re looking increasing the awareness and the awareness of the Indigenous communities that live in those areas and the history behind that,” said Bissaillon.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The partnership is through the Mississagi Park Foundation, which includes the City of Elliot Lake, Mississauga First Nation and Serpent River First Nation.
On Tuesday, leaders from each group gathered at the Mississagi Cultural Centre to honour the partnership with a traditional pipe ceremony.
Bissaillon said the moment was meaningful.
“The province came forward and they brought their staff and various other people so it was beautiful,” he said.
“People came down from Elliot Lake, too, so it was special. This does mean a lot to Indigenous people and the people of Elliot Lake, too.”
Mississagi Provincial Park, formally established in 1965, was previously run by the City of Elliot Lake. The city’s acting mayor, Andrew Wannan, said the park is important to the community.
Wannan said sharing the responsibility of the park is an essential part of ongoing cooperation among the communities. He said the park is an essential piece of the puzzle to boost tourism in the north.
“I’m hopeful for other communities to maybe look at and get inspiration from this process,” Wannan said.
David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, said he hopes future generations will learn about the park’s history.
“I think this is exciting for us as a province and exciting for the many girls and boys, next generation, who will go and visit,” Piccini said.
“Learn from the teachings of the foundation, the Indigenous leadership in this pristine 12,000 acres of wilderness.”
Bissaillon said while discussions are ongoing, the goal is to include signs, medicine trails and more information about the park’s history.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6944496.1719545086!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic anxiety about his candidacy
A raspy, sometimes halting U.S. President Joe Biden repeatedly sought to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Analysis of the CNN Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first of two planned presidential debates.
FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs and a variety of false and misleading information as they faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election.
Fines related to neighbour's 443 noise complaints at centre of B.C. dispute
A B.C. condo owner who was fined tens of thousands of dollars over hundreds of noise complaints made by his downstairs neighbour was partially successful in having the penalties overturned.
EXCLUSIVE Canadian lawyers play key role in money laundering, says financial intelligence report
A report by Canada's financial watchdog obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation working in collaboration with CTV News looked at Canadian lawyers' potential role in money laundering schemes, including those by organized crime groups like biker gangs and drug cartels.
Legal action coming to recover COVID benefit overpayments
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'No additional flights will be cancelled': WestJet avoids strike as feds order binding arbitration
The federal government ordered binding arbitration in the labour dispute between WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) on Thursday.
Ottawa police warn residents to avoid Facebook Marketplace when looking for a place to rent
Ottawa police are going as far as to tell people to stay away from Facebook Marketplace altogether when looking for a place to rent because of the prevalence of scams.