Manitoba Hydro dams caused decades of harm to Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (pukatawagan), lawsuit alleges
Damages inflicted by 2 Laurie River hydro dams 'happen every day,' lawyer alleges
Ozten Shebahkeget · CBC News · Posted: Dec 06, 2023 7:53 PM CST | Last Updated: December 6
A northern Manitoba First Nation is suing the province and Manitoba Hydro over two dams it says have been damaging their lands and violating their treaty rights for more than 50 years.
Mathias Colomb Cree Nation says the two Laurie River dams, which have been owned and operated by the province since 1970, have taken away its ability to use, enjoy or exercise treaty rights on its traditional and reserve lands as well as unoccupied Crown lands that it is entitled to.
The First Nation wants the revenues that the province and Hydro earned from the two dams, as well as $100 million in general damages and $10 million in punitive and aggravated damages, according to the statement of claim filed at the Manitoba Court of King's Bench on Nov. 29.
The province and Hydro have been wrongly enriched from the profits of the two dams without honouring their Crown obligations to Mathias Colomb and the First Nation's treaty rights, the suit claims.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ydro-1.7051455