In the last two weeks there has been an intense media storm around the current housing crisis in Attawapiskat, a remote Cree community on the coast of James Bay. One element of the story that’s getting some attention and is of particular interest to MiningWatch is the fact that the community is ‘host’ to DeBeers’ Victor diamond mine, located 90 km west of the community, upstream on the Attawapiskat River, within the traditional territory of the Omushkego Cree. The juxtaposition is stark: a diamond mine producing millions of dollars of a sparkling luxury item, next to the poverty and infrastructure deficits in Attawapiskat. It has led people to ask us: if there are millions of dollars of diamonds being taken from their traditional territory, why aren’t the conditions in the community improving?

News release: Canada’s largest labour federation is demanding that Ontario respect Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) Nation’s moratorium to protect their burials and sacred lands from desecration by mining exploration. Ontario has allowed exploration company God’s Lake Resources to stake claims directly on top of sacred KI burials. The company has dismissed KI’s concerns as rhetoric, indicating that they intend to continue exploration at the site in December.

News Release: The Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights in Papua New Guinea and MiningWatch Canada and have released a new report called "Out of Our Depth." It details serious environmental and social impacts expected as a result of unprecedented mining of the ocean floor. 

News release: Wahgoshig First Nation is going to court on December 1, 2011 to seek an urgent injunction to immediately stop drilling operations in a sacred area of Wahgoshig’s traditional territory. The area is immediately adjacent to the Wahgoshig reserve and is known to contain burial grounds as well as other archaeological sites. It is also an area frequented by Wahgoshig community members for hunting, trapping, fishing, medicine gathering, and ceremonial activities.

News Release: Free trade agreements with Panama and Jordan, legislation for which was announced today by International Trade Minister Ed Fast, will have little effect on jobs or the economy while putting Panamanian workers, Indigenous peoples and enviromental protections at risk, say the Council of Canadians and MiningWatch Canada.

News release: In a letter to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark today, 36 scientists asked for her leadership to balance impending industrial development in northwest B.C. with the outstanding fish, wildlife and ecological values of this largely pristine region. Of particular concern are the impacts to clean water and salmon runs in B.C. and southeast Alaska. Spurred by BC Hydro’s Northwest Transmission Line (NTL), which has received environmental approvals, the rush is on to build mines, river-diversion hydroelectric dams and coal-bed methane energy projects that could radically transform the region.

Open letter: At a time of increased activity of Canadian companies in Colombia and following implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, Canadian ecumenical and civil society organizations are calling upon the Canadian Embassy in Bogotá to ensure that Canadian companies respect the right of communities to free, prior, and informed consent, as enshrined in national and international law. The letter is a response to an urgent action issued by the Cañamomo Lomaprieta Indigenous Resguardo in the department of Caldas.

News release: The government of Zamboanga del Norte in the Philippines has issued an ordinance prohibiting new open pit mines in the province.

Statement: Today marks the anniversary of the Federal Government’s decision rejecting the Prosperity Mine proposal and protecting the environment, waters, fish and fish habitat, grizzly and grizzly habitat and our constitutionally protected rights as First Peoples in our homelands. Once again, we thank the Minister of Environment Jim Prentice and the Federal Government for protecting the public interest and for upholding the rights of First Nations under the Canadian Constitution. Unfortunately, this dire threat to our people, our lands and our way of life as Tsilhqot’in people continues to this day.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has told affected First Nations, local residents and public interest groups that the review of the proposed Elmtree Gold Mine is on hold. As reported in regional media, Castle Resources needs to re-assess the economics of the project before proceeding with the development of its Environmental Impact Statement. Citizens of the area are not letting their guard down and they continue to resist the proposal. In September, they sent a letter to the company indicating their strong opposition to the project.