Walpole Island First Nation (WIFN) is asking the federal government to intervene and help halt the landfill expansion proposed for Dresden citing environmental, cultural, and constitutional violations.
WIFN Chief Leela Thomas and council penned a letter "demanding" that the Federal Minister of Environment trigger a comprehensive Oceans and Fisheries Environmental Impact Assessment because the nearby Sydenham River is federally protected due to species protected under the federal Species at Risk Act.
WIFN said the proposed dump expansion violates the federal government's commitment to ensuring the right to a healthy environment enshrined in Bill S-5, the Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act.
WIFN noted the landfill also contradicts Canada's obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Articles which emphasize the rights of First Nations peoples to maintain their spiritual relationship with their lands and waters and to protect the environment and ensure meaningful involvement in all decisions affecting their territories.
Chief Thomas said the proposal threatens critical ecosystems, First Nation sovereignty, public health and safety, and reinforces an increasingly "visible pattern" of environmental racism, injustice, and constitutional neglect.
The chief and council noted the watershed surrounding Walpole Island flows directly into the Great Lakes which are a vital drinking water source for nearly 30 million people.
"The risks of contamination are not hypothetical; they are documented and ongoing," Chief Thomas wrote.
She also said the lands and waters are not only ecologically unique, but culturally sacred, adding that St. Anne's Island is believed to be the burial site of Chief Tecumseh and Dresden is home to Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Black History Museum.
The chief added that the Dresden landfill proposal falls within their Aboriginal Title Claim which gives them the legal right to decide how their land is used.
"We have the authority to reject projects that conflict with our values or pose environmental risks to our ecosystems, water, and wildlife," wrote Chief Thomas. "Under Canadian law, the government must consult and accommodate us when our rights are affected."
The province has tabled Bill 5 that exempts the landfill from a full environmental assessment.
It also exempts projects from archaeological assessments, undermining the identification and preservation of First Nation burial sites, artifacts, and other culturally significant lands.
"The absence of archaeological scrutiny is not only negligent, but also an affront to our shared history and principles of truth and reconciliation," WIFN noted.
WIFN said Bill 5 endangers communities and sets a dangerous national precedent.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Caniff spoke at Queen’s Park on Thursday expressing the community's opposition to the proposed landfill.
Canniff brought forth the concerns of the people of Chatham-Kent, emphasizing the importance of protecting the health, environment, and quality of life of the people of Dresden and beyond.
“We will not stand by while our community is put at risk. This proposal threatens Chatham-Kent’s environment, water, and the well-being of our residents. This injustice goes beyond Chatham-Kent now; this could affect all rural municipalities and Indigenous communities throughout Ontario with dormant landfill sites on their doorsteps. We are all united in opposition to this proposal,” said Canniff.
The proposal seeks to revive a dormant landfill on Irish School Road.
The province promised a comprehensive environmental assessment for the site, but reverse it.
Last week, Mayor Canniff also sent a letter to all Ontario municipalities seeking support from councils across the province to speak out in opposition to Bill 5.