CPTnet
February 11, 2004
ASUBPEESCHOSEEWAGONG:You are Hereby Advised

"Abitibi and Abitibi Loggers:
You are hereby advised that you have until 5:30 pm Friday, February 5, 2004
to cease all logging activities and vacate the Anishnabe Lake area and the
whole Grassy Narrows Traditional Territory. Failure to comply will result in
your workers and your equipment being blocked in the area.
        Signed: X, Signatory Indians to Treaty #3 1873"

On the cold, snowy evening of February 4, 2004, several members of
Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishnabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) in
northwestern Ontario travelled seventy km on the Deer Lake Road north of
their community to deliver the above eviction notice to loggers who had
recently clear-cut Alex Fobister's trapline (see Feb. 6 Urgent Action, "Stop
the Clear-cutting of Traplines at Anishnabe Lake.") At the same time, a
blockade was again erected on Deer Lake Road to prevent further logging
activity.

At the first logging camp, the loggers who received the notice said, "We
don't want to be here. We thought there was an agreement. We don't cut down
any trees. We are just the final crew that chops the cut trees into
eight-foot lengths for loading. About this dispute--you people should get a
bus and bring people up here from Kenora to see what you are talking about."

At the second logging camp, the logger receiving the notice promised to pass
it on to his boss, a contractor working for Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.

When the deadline for this eviction arrived, the Ontario Provincial Police
(OPP) came to the community to inform a member that the loggers had removed
most of their gear.

Members of the community say that this clear-cut logging violates their
treaty rights by destroying animal and plant habitant on which the community
depends. In December 2002, they set up a permanent blockade on the Jones
Road, the main logging road leading into their territory.

This second blockade and the eviction notices were prompted by the logger'
destruction of yet another trapline. In late January 2004, Fobister found
that a logging contractor working for Abitibi had destroyed the mature
forest on his trapping trail and that all of his traps were missing.

On Feb. 4, the day after this new blockade went up, the OPP also announced
that they had begun an investigation on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources into whether this Abitibi contractor had cut in an area
not approved for harvest. Abitibi already faces trial on twenty-two charges
of failing to comply with their approved Annual Work Schedule for logging,
making false statements to the government, and failing to provide required
information. These offences are alleged to have occurred between May 1999
and May 2002. They are due to be heard in Kenora Provincial Court on Mar.
11, 2004 after 12 previous postponements.

Christian Peacemaker Teams has maintained a team at Asubpeeschoseewagong
since November 2002.