The framework agreement signed Thursday by Pessamit and the Quebec government, which includes a $500 million lawsuit suspension, will be a hot topic in the North Shore's Innu community. “Once the negotiations are over, we will go to the referendum,” Mariel Vachon, Pessamit's head of the Innu community, announced on Radio-Canada.
We're going to go there. This is important in terms of negotiation
She asserted in an interview Alarm clock.
On Thursday morning, demonstrators demanded that the band council hold a referendum on the deal because they believe members of the community have not been adequately consulted on the matter.
Ian Lafreniere, the minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, confirmed to Radio-Canada that the framework agreement signed Thursday represents the parameters of a future final agreement, which will be presented to the community during a referendum.
We will give 12 to 24 months time for negotiations. If there is an agreement, it will be submitted to the community.
If we consider it historically [l’entente]Earlier our positions were far apart
Minister Lafrenière stated.
Under the deal, the community will receive about $45 million by 2030 to create a social development fund.
In turn, Hydro-Québec is also holding off on raising the level of the Manicougan reservoir.
However, the partnership will allow the state-owned company to discuss potential projects in the territory to increase its electricity production.
On Thursday, the signing ceremony began at 1:30 pm with the rest of the community in the community hall.
The community members are lamenting that they were never consulted during the construction of hydroelectric dams in Nitasinan on their territory, which has 13 power stations and 16 dams.
Agreement Unacceptable
Community members opposed to the deal also blocked Route 138. This agreement is not acceptable
One of them, Jerome Charles Saint-Onge, said in an interview. We will do everything to ensure that it is not implemented, as it undermines our sovereignty over our territory.
A man living in Pessamit who said he was arrested by local community police during the Route 138 blockade said he was released Friday morning. He explained that he would not give up and assured him that he would stand by him A big party
The population
People feel cheated by not contacting us. These are important decisions for our future and the future of our children but we are left in a fog.
He asserted that the Band Council condemned the inability to impose its priorities.
The government has built many dams on Neetassinan over the years and we have received nothing over the years. 45 lakhs Peanut And [ça] It represents only a small portion of what we are entitled to receive.
Mr. St-Onge criticized Hydro-Québec for disappearing with every hydroelectric project. They come to make announcements in front of journalists and bring us forward, but when everyone leaves, they return to their old reflexes to isolate us and decide alone on the exploitation of our resources.
He criticized that they have been using the state corporation all these years Gloves
without ever giving them decision-making positions. We are feeding their employees who care about cleaning and feeding the world without any real participation on our part.
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