(Fredericton/Ottawa/Vancouver) A delegation of regional and national Indigenous communities and advocacy groups will be attending the annual Canadian Energy & Mines Ministers Conference on August 13-16 in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick. Under the theme ‘No Clean Growth without Clean Mining,’ the groups will urge the Ministers to take meaningful action to protect the environment and communities affected by ever larger volumes of contaminated mining wastes generated by the industry and the growing risks of catastrophic failures and spills of these mining waste facilities. The delegation includes Indigenous community representatives affected by the 2014 Mount Polley Mine disaster in British Columbia and will be attending various meetings and public events from August 13 to 16.
Sunday, August 13
10:00 am – Meeting with Grand Chief Ron Tremblay, Traditional Wolastoq Grand Council
2:00 pm – Meeting with Solidarity Caravan to Wolastoqiyik Women’s Camp at the Sisson Mine site
7:00 pm – Opening reception of the Canadian Energy & Mines Ministers Conference in St. Andrews
Monday, August 14
All day – Energy & Mines Ministers Conference in St. Andrews (news release in morning)
Noon – Photo-op session with banners in St. Andrews, all welcome
7:00 pm – Public conference “Protecting the Nashwaak watershed: What the Mount Polley mine disaster has to teach us about the Sisson mine project?,” St. Mary's First Nation Cultural Centre, 25 Dedham St., Fredericton
Tuesday, August 15
All day – Meetings with local, provincial and Indigenous elected representatives
6:00 pm – Gathering with United for Mining Justice & Breaking the Silence at the Abbey Café, Fredericton
Wednesday, August 16
All day – Meetings with various Indigenous, provincial and federal government officials
Members of the delegation include: Jacinda Mack, First Nations Women Advocating for Responsible Mining and Xat’sull Nation community member, directly affected by the Mount Polley mine disaster; Ugo Lapointe, Canada Program Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada; Joan Kuyek, Independent Mining Analyst; Tracy Glynn, Conservation Council of New Brunswick; Jackie McVicar, United for Mining Justice. Grand Chief Ron Tremblay from the Tradional Wolastoq Grand Council, as well as other Indigenous and advocacy organizations from New Brunswick will join the delegation on several occasions throughout the week.
Contact information:
- Grand Chief Ron Tremblay, Traditional Wolastoq Grand Council, 506-455-1577
- Tracy Glynn, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, 506 440-5592
- Jacinda Mack, First Nations Women Advocating for Responsible Mining, 250-302-9134
- Ugo Lapointe, MiningWatch Canada, 514-708-0134
- Joan Kuyek, Independent Mining Analyst, 613-795-5710
- Jackie McVicar, United for Mining Justice, 902-324-2584