NioBay Update

February 13, 2021

Serious concerns have recently been raised by membership and by Chief & Council with respect to NioBay’s activities, including the unauthorized use of the Wetum Road corridor by NioBay personnel.  NioBay’s recent conduct required that Chief & Council take action in response.  As a first step, we hired two of our members—Jonathan Rickard and Abel Cheechoo—as MCFN environmental monitors, to monitor the activities that NioBay and its personnel engage in on our Homeland and to ensure Moose Cree interests are respected.  Moreover, Chief & Council have, today, directed that NioBay must take a pause, and must not proceed with its proposed winter exploratory drilling program at this time.  At Chief & Council’s request, NioBay has agreed and confirmed that they will pause their exploration activities.  This pause will ensure that membership has an opportunity to learn more about NioBay and the proposed exploration program and to raise and discuss any concerns with Moose Cree leadership. 

If and when NioBay resumes any activities in the Moose Cree Homeland, those activities will only be early exploration activities.  The previously-negotiated Protection Agreement remains in effect and NioBay may not move forward towards constructing any mine in the Moose Cree Homeland without the support of Moose Cree membership.  Chief & Council are committed to ensuring that membership receives all the information it requires to ultimately make an informed decision if the results of NioBay’s explorations ever lead them or another proponent to propose the development of a mine in our Homeland.

For accurate information about NioBay, we encourage you to contact the following members of Moose Cree’s NioBay Negotiation Team:

Chief Mervin Cheechoo at
Councillor Nathan Beck at
Councillor Erin Biedermann at
Councillor Pauline Rickard at
Ron Spencer, Director of Lands & Resources at