Manitoba Removes Gravel Blockade on Lake St. Martin Access Road After First Nations Protest

Demonstrators used an orange track loader to remove gravel from a newly built access road east of Lake St. Martin on Friday. " Chief Lawrence Letander of Dauphin River First Nation said the province did not notify Interlake First Nations before placing the gravel barrier.

He stated that community members hunt and harvest traditional medicines in the area and that he did not know when or why the blockade had been installed.

After the 2011 flood around Lake St.

Martin, the province constructed an emergency outlet channel. A 2019 environmental assessment report described plans for a 23-kilometre permanent flood-outlet channel that would repurpose the emergency channel and include a water-control structure and bridge.

Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said in a statement that a gate was installed at the junction of the new access road and Idylwild Road as part of the environmental licensing process. She added that the gate is now being reconsidered after feedback from First Nations.

Council executive director Karl Zadnik said the province breached treaty rights by blocking access. He stated that the government had previously promised not to restrict access and that leaders from the seven represented First Nations will meet with Minister Naylor and Premier Wab Kinew early next month.

>"We just want them to be forthright because we thought we were resetting this relationship when the new government came in, and there's been no reset yet.