Resolute clearcutting in Barriere Lake

July 17, 2012

Resolute clearcutting in Barriere Lake

While no formal notice of the logging was given to most members of the community, it did not take long for residents of the land to realize what was happening.

The family that harvests that part of the ABL territory—hunting, fishing, collecting food and medicine—alerted others nearly two weeks ago that logging equipment had been moved onto the land. Community members, including Jeannette Wawatie, one of the harvesters, say they contacted the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife (MRNF) to get more information, but weren't given clear answers.

"[Jeannette] called [MRNF] to see when they were going to start cutting. They told her, a couple days, a couple weeks, they weren't really giving her a straight answer. So we were in and out of the place, just monitoring the area," explained Norman Matchewan, a community spokesperson. "And last week, on Monday night [July 9, 2012], we came for a ride and they were bringing in their machines. And Tuesday we came back and they had started working. So we got our camping gear and we came to set up a camp."