First Nations communities downstream from London have once again made their positions known on the future of the Springbank Dam.
Chief Leslee White-eye from Chippewas of the Thames, Chief Sheri L. Doxtator from Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Chief Roger Thomas from Munsee Delaware Nation have sent a joint letter to Mayor Matt Brown.
In it, they urge the city to decommission the dam.
The letter stresses the First Nations communities are "directly impacted by the quantity and quality of the water that flows in the Thames River." It goes onto say the communities exercise their treaty rights to fish with their members relying on the fish from the Thames for sustenance.
The chiefs note their aboriginal and treaty rights are constitutionally protected as indicated by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, with several Supreme Court cases affirming those rights. They go onto talk about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which put forward a call to action for corporations to adopt the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People.
The chiefs conclude by saying “it is our hope to continue to communicate with the city of London and work together to make mutually beneficial decisions for our communities.”
The letter is not the first communication the city has received from local First Nations regarding the dam. Chief White-eye was the first to speak at a public participation meeting on the Springbank Dam on March 8. That meeting was attended by more than 100 people.
On March 22, a decision on whether to include the dam in a combined master environmental assessment with the Back to the River project was deferred to a future meeting. That decision was delayed as council seeks additional legal advice. There is no clear timeline for when council will receive answers to the outstanding legal questions.
Springbank Dam has been out of operation since 2006 when a multi-million dollar repair job went wrong launching the city into a lengthy legal battle with the contractors. The lawsuit was settled in the fall of 2015 with the city receiving $3.775-million while no party admitted to being liable.
Since the settlement, many environmentalists have come forward saying the river’s health has improved dramatically in the time that the dam has been inoperable.
The letter can be read by clicking here.
