Forest regime: still a lot of tensions in Haute-Mauricie

Tensions are more vivid than ever in the file of the reform of the forest regime. Videos published on social networks show altercations between members of the First Nation Mamo group and workers who try to cross forest blockade. Counter-blocks have also been set up by forestry workers in recent days and others are to come.

Wemotaci’s Atikamekw Council published a statement on Saturday, calling for calm.

Sunday, it was the Rémébec forestry turn to do the same, stressing that Tensions around access to forest sites create an untenable situation for entrepreneurs who respect the rules and simply want to work.

The management of Rémabec also launched a direct appeal to Prime Minister François Legault to intervene quickly in order to establish a climate of confidence and Lead discussions to a winning agreement for all.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, still defends her bill.

The blockade must stop immediately, that taking the workers and their families hostage is not an acceptable way to claim. Concrete proposals aimed at improving bill 97 have been transmitted to all Aboriginal communities. To make its demands hear, the Mamo group is invited to bring them to its elected representatives and to encourage them to negotiate in good faith with the government.

The deputy of Laviolette-Saint-Maurice, Marie-Louise Tardif, points to one of the indigenous leaders, Dave Petiquay.

We cannot go to negotiate with an individual who does not have the approval of the band council, who does not have the approval of his peers because it is not true that it is all the Atikamekw or all the Aboriginal people in Quebec who are against forest developments. This individual, we call him to be represented by an organization with which we currently discussshe told Radio-Canada.

The bill is poorly understood, believes the deputy, especially with regard to the distribution of the territory.

It is also necessary that these people who are on the ground are better informed of what is in the bill, because there is a lot of disinformationadds Ms. Tardif.

A demonstration in support for First Nations

Meanwhile in Trois-Rivières, the Aboriginal Ecological Resistance and Defense Front (Freda) continues its actions to be heard. A demonstration was organized on Sunday.

I deplore the fact that it was done in a very economical way without realizing that there was a whole biodiversity, that there are ancestral practices that are done in the forests. It is the pantry of certain nationssays Annick Bonneville, one of the co -founders of the Freda group.

Ms. Bonneville also criticizes the government for having lacked transparency and collaboration with the First Nations in this reform of the forest regime.

Forestiers need to understand also that we don’t do this against them, and that we are not the enemy either. It’s really to send a clear message, and I think the government will not have the choice to listen.

What we ask in fact is that he throws bill 97, that we sit again at the drawing table, with the First Nations and the experts to make a responsible forest that will please everyoneshe underlines.