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 February |
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Logging west of Sharp Rock is like demolishing the Sistine Chapel and leaving the altar. — Alex Mathias |
February 15, 2002 Mathias accuses Ontario of religious persecution over logging near Chee-skon-abikong Temagami
aboriginal Alex Mathias accuses Ontario of religious persecution over its
plan to allow logging around a sacred site this year. "My
spiritual beliefs come from the forest for miles around the Spirit
Rock," says Mathias. "For the Anishnabai, logging west of Sharp
Rock is like demolishing the Sistine Chapel and leaving the altar."
Clear-cutting
will come within 650 metres of the Spirit Rock, called Chee-skon-abikong
in Ojibway. Mathias is the head of the Misabi family. "They did not
ask my permission to build roads on my family land or log it," he
says. "If they ask, I will never give permission." "My people have been coming to the spiritual site for thousands of years," Mathias says. "It is my duty to protect its integrity."
The Spirit Rock is located at the eastern boundary of the Obabika River Park. Earlier this week, environment group Earthroots denounced the clear-cutting (see Feb 11 story) adjoining the park because it threatened an endangered old-growth ecosystem within the park, and required re-opening the Red Squirrel Road. In 1989, 344 people were arrested blockading construction. Alex Mathias is the last Temagami aboriginal living off the reserve on ancestral family land. In 1992, he became family head and the following year he moved back to the land. He lives on Obabika Lake, just west of Lake Temagami, four kilometres from the sacred site.
He traps, fishes and hunts, and tries to gather as much food as he can from the land. He grew up here and he intends to pass it on in better shape than the way he received it. |
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February 11, 2002 Wakimika
Triangle logging opposed, environmentalists call for public's help Earthroots is opposing logging and new road construction in the Wakimika Triangle area. Either activity could begin as early as April 1. Access to the stands west of Sharp Rock require re-opening the west end of Red Squirrel Road. That road has been abandoned for ten years. Earthroots opposes the logging for the following reasons:
The timber will be exported to mills outside of Temagami and all bush work will be done by non-Temagami companies.
The
ministry says it is leaving a 200-meter reserve next to the old-growth
stand. "We really don't know what a safe buffer is in this
case," says old-growth scientist Dr. Peter Quinby. "Research
has shown that highways can adversely affect fisher and black bear
populations for several kilometers away from the highway. Until we have at
least a basic understanding of the impacts of clear-cutting on adjacent
old-growth ecosystems and their resident species, logging should be
halted." Ministry forester Kevin Rankin says an alternative to the Red Squirrel Road and the road across the reserve is to build a road from the south. "We discussed the option of a road across the Obabika Inlet." The result of these new roads would be the road encirclement of Lake Temagami.
"A
MNR forester's job is to cut," says Richard Brooks of Earthroots.
"His only alternative is to find a way to do it under the public's
radar, so he dwells on roads, as they are the most visible. You go to his
superiors to stop the clear-cutting." Earthroots
is calling on the public to contact MNR's district manager. Dave Payne dave.payne@mnr.gov.on.ca District Manager 705-475-5599 Ministry of Natural Resources 3301 Trout Lake Rd February 8, 2002 Slush on Lake Temagami
With early snow after freeze-up, slush remains a problem when travelling off the ice road. Photo: Peter Healy February 7, 2002 Ottertooth wins second award February 6, 2002 Migratory birds harmed by logging Up to 85,000 bird nests are being destroyed annually in Ontario by logging, says a coalition of nine environment groups. “The lack of protection for migratory birds is a national embarrassment,” says Richard Brooks of Earthroots. “The expansion of clear-cutting in Ontario will only lead to further loss of birds in coming years." An access-to-information request by the coalition to the Canadian Wildlife Service revealed no charges have been laid against logging companies for destroying bird nests. The coalition, led by Sierra Legal Defence Fund, has asked NAFTA's Commission for Environmental Cooperation to investigate the failure to enforce migratory-bird legislation. February 5, 2002 Temagami old growth threatened, says scientist Logging in the vicinity of old-growth forest is a threat to its survival, says old-growth scientist Dr. Peter Quinby. Logging is planned adjoining the ancient stands in the Wakimika Triangle. "Any further damage from logging could be irreversible,” Quinby says. “Research shows that old-growth forests surrounded by uncut wilderness areas regenerate better than small islands of old-growth surrounded by logging roads and clear-cuts.” Environment group Earthroots is calling on the Ontario government to create protected areas around the ancient forests.
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February 2 (left) — Ice road, looking north toward the Mine Landing (right background). Photo: Tim Gooderham |
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February 1 (right) — Loon Lodge, yesterday near Manitou Landing. Photo: Tim Gooderham |
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February 1, 2002 Dispatch from Temagami Tim We have finally had some cold weather, which has produced a barely adequate amount of ice. But it is not a good idea to go where no one has not gone before. Yesterday afternoon I went down the Northeast Arm by snowmobile and it was pretty rough. There are frozen pools of slush and old track ruts through the slush that are frozen solid and about a foot deep. One would be very foolish to try to go faster than 30 mph. Most travellers have been freelancing far off the staked "trail." Snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow. That should smooth things out a bit. Maybe Temagami Trails will be able to bring the small snowmobile-trail groomer up the arm. It is highly unlikely that the large groomer will see the lake this winter — it needs about 16 inches of solid ice and we don't have that yet. Nevertheless, John Moskwa of Loon Lodge has been working diligently to produce the normal nice parking area in front of the lodge (above photo). You will note that the cars are not parked very close together. That is prudent! — Tim Gooderham |
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