Update from Chief Cheechoo on the March 1st Power Outage
March 3, 2023
Awareness Walk for Youth Wellness
March 7, 2023
Moose Cree Chief Mervin Cheechoo, top centre, along with the Elders Advisory Group and Transport Canada representatives
Moose Cree First Nation and Transport Canada to lead study focussed on Moose River Basin changing conditions and boat navigation
Government to government agreement leads way towards reconciliation-based approach to understanding cumulative impacts
Moose Cree First Nation, February 21, 2023 – Moose Cree First Nation welcomed Transport Canada for a meeting to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in support of a collaborative research project. The MOU is one of the first in the country to be signed with a First Nation to collaborate on a better understanding of cumulative impacts on navigation. Moose Cree First Nation Chief and Council and the Moose Cree Elders Advisory Group met with Transport Canada to acknowledge the official signing of the agreement which has been in development between the two governments since 2020.
Chief Cheechoo pointed out “how disturbingly low the waters have become over the years, where traditional routes have been lost and travel between Moose Factory and Moosonee has also become a challenge, putting peoples health at risk by limiting access to basic goods and services.” Transport Canada representatives Maria Brydon, Senior Indigenous Relations Advisor and Kelly Thompson, Navigation Protection Program Officer shared their support for the collaboration and the opportunity to work together on a government to government level in the spirit of reconciliation.
The research project will examine archival information regarding water levels in the Moose River basin as well as interview Elders and land users who can share a firsthand understanding of the impacts on navigation. The collaboration will then review the information and conduct an analysis to document the impacts and provide recommendations including mitigation options to address the impacts as well as next steps required to prepare for the future.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Simard Director of OPG Relations, Moose Cree First Nation, Resource Protection at .