The Garden River First Nation monitors the potential impact on local wildlife and its residents using the St. John’s River. Marys after an oil spill upstream in Sault Ste. Maria on Thursday. Speaking by telephone Thursday, Chief Andy Rickard said the Garden River environmental team was closely monitoring the situation as oil from the spill was observed to be transported along the St. John’s River. Mary’s. The team was cautious and traveled to Sault Ste. Marie immediately after the leak to start noticing her, Ricard said. The river St. Marys cross the Garden River First Nation and are home to countless wildlife species, he noted. On Thursday, Algoma Public Health issued a public advisory warning to residents downstream of Algoma Steel not to consume, swim or bathe in water from the St. Paul River. Marys as a result of the leak. Ricard said his immediate priority was to inform the residents of Garden River about the situation and its possible effects. “A lot of people are fishing off the coast,” Ricard said. Algoma Steel has never approached the Garden River with substantive consultation in its 120-year history, Rickard said. “I remember talking to some of the leaders here before my time and reading some of the information and concluding that the real commitment, the consultation and the stay – none of that happened to our community,” he said. “For many years I have heard it loud and clear from our citizens about the effects, in terms of wildlife, in terms of fish, in terms of water and even air quality that is the opposite. This latest incident simply proves that Algoma Steel should consult Garden River because First Nation is directly affected by everything the industry does, Rickard said. Similar consultations have never taken place between First Nation and other industries, such as the former St. Marys Pulp and Paper, he said. “Algoma Steel – we had to reach out to them to tell them that we need to talk about this because we want to ensure that the commitment, this communication, especially if anything environmental happens, we have to worry about. “We can warn our citizens, especially those who live by the water,” he said. Ricard said that holding these consultations is important for his community to move forward. “It’s not just the downstream, but the downstream that is a huge concern and we’re talking about increased health impact,” Ricard said. “This is our opportunity to assert our responsibilities in a nation-to-nation manner and to say that we live with these implications and that they will consult us, we will compromise on some of these things that have happened in the past.” A sit-in meeting between the Garden River leadership and the Algoma Steel brass was scheduled for November, but was postponed due to COVID-19. “We are trying to improve relations with the steel plant and to have these substantive discussions about the environment, some of the resources around this sector, and to open the dialogue,” Ricard said. “I’m sure we’re on the right track.”
