Bruce Power Promises Aboriginal Consultation
Monday, December 08, 2008 at 15:06
An official for a company that builds nuclear power plants says Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan will be consulted before anything is built on their traditional land.
Ross Lamont of Bruce Power says his company has dealt with Aboriginal groups before, and understands the rules surrounding the duty to consult.
Last month, the company released the results of a feasibility study detailing possible sites of a plant in Saskatchewan.
Prince Albert, Lloydminster and North Battleford are all listed as possible destinations for a nuclear reactor.
Lamont says some First Nations will be consulted in the months to come about the idea.
He also says Bruce Power has experience dealing with Metis groups.
However, Lamont says there are no plans at this point to meet with any Aboriginal groups in particular.
Some grassroots Aboriginal citizens took part in an anti-nuclear rally attended by about 40 people in North Battleford yesterday.
One of them was Marcia Nault of the Poundmaker First Nation, who says First Nations leaders who express interest in a nuclear reactor coming into Saskatchewan don’t speak for all Aboriginal people.
Nault says she’s opposed to nuclear power, because she’s worried about what nuclear waste could do to her reserve.
Lucky Man First Nation elder Grace Okemow says, many years ago, her great grandfather and other elders warned that non-Native people would bring dangerous things.
Okemow beliees nuclear power is one of those things.
Bruce Power has said a Saskatchewan plant could create about 2,000 jobs during construction, and about 1,000 permanent jobs.
Nault says Aboriginal leaders are doing the right thing by trying to get jobs for their people — but she thinks there are many other safer jobs.