Diamond mine ice road blockade shifts to Attawapiskat River

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Feb, 2013

Aerial view of De Beers Canada Victor diamond mine, 90 km from the Attawapiskat reserve in northern Ontario.

A nearly three week-long diamond mine ice road blockade was moved to a section crossing the Attawapiskat River while seven of the individuals involved in the protest prepared for a court appearance in Timmins, Ont., Friday.

OPP meets with Attawapiskat blockaders while band awaits De Beers response

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Feb, 2013

Attawapiskat blockade of De Beers Victor diamond mine, Feb 13, 2013.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Aboriginal liaison officers met with the Attawapiskat diamond mine ice road blockaders on Monday afternoon while the band council waited for De Beers to endorse an agreement that would end the now nine-day protest that has severed the mining giant’s overland supply route.

Attawapiskat diamond mine blockade causing De Beers “financial damages,” could force shut-down

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Feb 13, 2013

Attawapiskat blockade of De Beers Victor diamond mine, Feb 13, 2013.

ATTAWAPISKAT–An ongoing blockade by Attawapiskat residents of an ice road leading to a De Beers diamond mine in northern Ontario is causing “significant financial damages” and “irreparable harm” which could force the mining giant to shut its operations down, according to the company.

Diamond mine hit by second Attawapiskat blockade

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Feb, 11, 2013

De Beers Canada Victor diamond mine in northern Ontario.

ATTAWAPISKAT-About a dozen Attawapiskat residents launched a second blockade on an ice road leading to a De Beers diamond mine Sunday.

The blockade, which began Sunday evening, forced a convoy of several empty fuel trucks back to the De Beers Victor diamond mine which sits about 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.

Dozens arrested as protesters target Plan Nord conference in Montreal

Protest against Plan Nord in Montreal, Feb 9, 2013.

The Canadian Press February 9, 2013

MONTREAL — Montreal police arrested 36 people on Saturday during a second day of protests against Quebec’s northern development plan.

Demonstrators rallied outside a job fair at the city’s convention centre, where businesses and workers were meeting to discuss opportunities in the natural resources sector.

Attawapiskat diamond mine blockade ends

By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Feb 8, 2013
The blockade of a winter road leading to a diamond mine near Attawapiskat ended Thursday evening after an agreement between mining giant De Beers, the chief of this northern Ontario First Nation and protesters.

Bruce Shisheesh, the spokesman for the blockade, said De Beers and Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence agreed to reopen the impact benefit agreement (IBA) between the community and the company. Reopening the IBA was a core demand of the protesters, which blocked the winter road leading to the Victor diamond mine on Monday.

More Info on Attawapiskat Blockade of De Beers Diamond Mine

Attawapiskat residents say only a fraction of community benefits from mine’s prosperity

CBC News, Feb 5, 2013

Danny Metatawabin, on left, with chief Spence during her fast in Ottawa.

The mining company De Beers is trying to find out more about why a small group of people from Attawapiskat is blocking the road to its diamond mine, 90 kilometres west of the community.

Up to eight people who say they want Attawapiskat’s Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) with De Beers to be reviewed have been blocking the road to the mine since Monday.

Protesters block ice road leading to diamond mine near Attawapiskat

Global News, Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Aerial view of De Beers Canada Victor diamond mine, 90 km from the Attawapiskat reserve in northern Ontario.

Protesters are closing off an ice road leading to the De Beers diamond mine near Attawapiskat, Global News has confirmed.

The blockade began around midnight Tuesday morning, according to one source familiar with the situation.

Aboriginal Business Elite Promote Pipelines as part of ‘Energy Corridor’

First nations carving out an energy bridge to the B.C. coast

Nathan Vanderklippe, The Globe and Mail, Feb 5, 2013

Calvin Helin doing power point presentation in his button blanket regalia.

For the Canadian energy industry desperate to pump oil and natural gas through British Columbia, the single greatest obstacle has been the dozens of first nations fighting to ensure pipelines are never built.

Now, some of the leading figures in Canada’s aboriginal business community are offering a bridge across the province’s difficult political landscape. They have formed Eagle Spirit Energy Holdings Ltd., a company quietly working to create a first nations-owned energy corridor across northern B.C. that could serve as a physical line across the province to move natural gas, electricity and oil.

Idle No More protesters and anti-nuclear activists block CP rail line in Toronto

Natives and anti-nuclear activists temporarily blockade CP Rail train in Toronto, Feb 3, 2013.

By Jessica Smith, Metro Toronto, February 3, 2013

Idle No More protesters and anti-nuclear activists blocked the CP rail line near the General Electric-Hitachi nuclear processing facility in Toronto on Sunday, Feb. 3.

The protesters blocked a train, but left peacefully, according to police at the scene.  The rail-line protest came after a demonstration at the plant and a march through the surrounding neighbourhood earlier in the day.