Matawa First Nations File Judicial Review

First Nation leaders from Northern Ontario gathered in Ottawa yesterday to announce legal action against Canada in connection with the Ring of Fire. Matawa First Nations – a group of nine First Nation communities in Northern Ontario – filed a Judicial Review regarding the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s (CEAA) failure to implement a Joint Review Panel Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Cliffs Chromite project in the Ring of Fire area. The CEAA has instead opted for a Comprehensive Study EA with no realistic opportunity for First Nations to participate. The Matawa Chiefs insist that a Comprehensive Study EA will fast-track the EA process for government and the resource company, and put First Nation communities at serious risk. Counsel of record for the Matawa First Nations Judicial Review are OKT lawyers Larry Innes, Renee Pelletier, Bryce Edwards and myself. We look forward to continuing our work for Matawa First Nations on this important case.

You can read Matawa’s full press release here.

By Judith Rae