Defenders of an Indigenous sacred site were dealt another blow on June 13th when Ottawa City Council approved a record $60.9 Million grant to Windmill Development Group for the decontamination of land on two islands at Chaudiere Falls. The islands on the Ottawa River near Parliament hill had been left derelict and toxic after a century of industrial activities there. It is also unceded Algonquin territory and considered sacred to the Algonquin and all Anishinaabe peoples. WIndmill's ZIBI development in construction clashes with an existing Indigenous vision for Asinabka to have Indigenous healing, as well as peace-building and environmental harmony, at the traditional spiritual gathering site.

 

Supporters of that vision briefly disrupted the Council meeting...

 

Lindsay Lambert is a historian, and one of 5 people who attempted unsuccessfully to appeal the rezoning of the islands to the Ontario Municipal Board 4 years ago. He had expressed his objections at the previous week's Finance and Economic Development Committee hearings on the issue.

 

Public messaging from Windmill before the rezoning approval suggested that the developer would take on the full costs of the clean up. On Friday June 22nd, faith leaders will hold the third annual Spirituality Is Unity Walk​: Walk For Our Sacred Site, Akikodjiwan, in support of restoring the site to the Algonquin Anishinaabe. More details can be found on the event's facebook page, or at www.AlbertDumont.com

* From June 18, 2018 episode of Groundwire Radio News
Piece by: Michael Welch | Host: Susan Huebert

 

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More on the sacred site and development at Chaudiere Falls: https://equitableeducation.ca/tag/chaudiere-falls

 

Full Groundwire Radio News episodes (1/2-hour, biweekly) at http://www.groundwirenews.ca