PBCN Members Erect Blockade On Road To Dam
Monday, June 28, 2010 at 13:37
A roadblock has been set up along the road to the Island Falls hydroelectric dam in northeast Saskatchewan.
The blockade was set up by some residents in Sandy Bay, who are upset about ongoing negotiations between SaskPower and the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.
The two sides are trying to come to a settlement over the impact of the dam, which displaced several people from Sandy Bay in the 1930s.
The protesters say PBCN leadership has failed to inform local residents and accommodate the issues expressed by the community.
They also feel Sandy Bay should be specifically recognized in whatever compensation deal is handed out, and that compensation should flow to individuals in the community — not just the band as a whole.
Local resident Michelle McDonald says they want to negotiate their own deal for the benefit of people in the community.
Chief Darrell McCallum says a mediation session between the band and SaskPower has been planned for September 27th and 28th.
He stresses that representatives from all PBCN communities, including Sandy Bay, will be in attendance at that meeting.
McCallum says lawyers from the band will spend the summer preparing for the mediation — and any updates on the file will be delivered to the communities and the band membership.
The blockade is scheduled to last until about 6:00 this evening.
A spokesman for SaskPower says the blockade hasn’t affected operations at the dam.