CN basically only uses the line that runs up north to get things between Toronto and the West. It's flat so they can run their trains faster and longer than CP can along its lakeshore route. (It's also the route the oil goes since the oilsands are mostly in CN's territory, sparing Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie of potential oil disasters—fuel trains only enter our cities when the local market needs gas or diesel in the winter.) The CN route between Thunder Bay and Geraldton has been gone for years. At this point we're essentially served only by CP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue
Can I say (or rather, is it true) that, if it were not for the drug crises among FNs, they would have gladly let 11 be twinned which would have meant cheaper food (and many other things)? Now instead they fear that a better highway means more drugs (as with RofF right now).
|
No one has actually proposed it. The highways they're complaining about are secondary and tertiary highways being built to serve mining interests, which as originally proposed went straight to the mines and by-passed all of them. They wouldn't let the project advance unless every First Nation were connected to it, but they also don't want the mining to happen because it will be a major disruption to their way of life. Without grocery stores, the bulk of the fresh meat those communities consume is from wildlife they hunt. Mines disrupt wildlife significantly.
As for the drug situation, it is easier to control it now that they're fly in communities, but they still find their way in. They could just set up check points along the road on the entrance to the community but there is no funding for that, some of them only have police in the community for 12 hours a day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Loco101
As vid mentioned, there are other areas that can be part of traditional lands that could be affected. One that I can think of is Taykwa Tagamou Nation which doesn't have an actual reserve but is currently defining its traditional lands that are located between Kapuskasing and Cochrane I believe.
|
Every First Nation has a traditional territory that is used for hunting and fishing, and they generally put a lot of effort into protecting that. Reserves aren't large enough for sustainable hunting, hence the need for traditional lands. Essentially all of Northern Ontario is traditional land for one First Nation or another, and in cases where no specific first nation is claiming it, treaty councils like NAN and tribal councils like Mattawa generally claim it on behalf of all native peoples in the region. So basically we should always operate under the assumption that land in this region is First Nation Traditional Land.
I don't know if Timmins is doing it, but Thunder Bay usually starts every proclamation stating that we're in the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, and we fly the band's flag at City Hall to represent that.