Lawyers for several organizations named in a lawsuit by a group of concerned citizens are in Prince Albert today to argue the claim should be thrown out.
Representatives for Cameco, AREVA, the governments of both Saskatchewan and Canada, the Northern Village of Pinehouse and the Kineepik Metis Local are in Prince Albert Court of Queen’s Bench.
The organizations were all named as defendants in a statement of claim following a collaboration agreement between Cameco, AREVA and Pinehouse.
The groups signed the collaboration agreement in December 2012. The deal is expected to be worth about $200 million over 11 years.
But a group of concerned citizens filed a lawsuit over the collaboration agreement last June alleging it violates traditional rights to the land.
Today, all the defendants named in the suit appeared in court to ask that the lawsuit be thrown out.
Lawyers for the defendants called the group’s claim frivolous and vexatious.
Larry Kowalchuk, who represents the citizens’ group, said they have a right to bring their concerns before the courts.
Kowalchuk said the group doesn’t feel they were able to properly air their concerns, adding that requests to view the agreement before it was signed were denied.
The judge hearing the application to strike the defendants from the claim has reserved her decision.