Grassy Narrows is a symbol of injustice. For decades, they have been living with mercury contamination in their water. It has had a devastating impact on the community.
Sadly, the Trudeau government is continuing this injustice with their failure to fulfill their promise to the community of Grassy Narrows.
During the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, I called for a unanimous motion on providing Grassy Narrows with the trust fund they have been asking for to build the mercury treatment facility.
We’ve heard repeatedly there is the political will to get this done. Therefore, I asked for unanimous support to urge the government to act on this and urge the government to put this trust fund in place.
The call to move the motion reflecting Grassy Narrows’ demands was rejected by the Liberals.
The Liberal government should be doing everything possible to help Chief Turtle and the people of Grassy Narrows. Instead of listening to the community and delivering what they need, the government is telling Chief Turtle what is needed and how to get the job done.
The Liberals are denying funding to the community. This is wrong.
The Minister Seamus O’Regan went to Grassy Narrows with the intent of signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Chief and council. Chief Rudy Turtle did not sign because it did not address his community’s concerns. The Liberal government did not include the original funding promised in 2017 or the guarantee that the mercury treatment home would be built. The Liberals even left out the community’s demand to create a trust fund to ensure that the mercury treatment home would be built regardless of the federal election results.
The minister put the blame on the Chief for not signing the MOA.
The people of Grassy Narrows have been fighting for justice for decades. It is time to listen to them and deliver the recognition, respect, the support and the trust they deserve.
