SUDBURY—Manitoulin Island was to be well represented at a fracking conference held at the University of Sudbury on Wednesday of this week.
“Within our communities there is a sense that the environment is suffering greatly and one of the many reasons for this is fracking,” stated Dr. Michael Hankard, assistant professor at the Department of Indigenous Studies, University of Sudbury.
“The whole idea of holding this ‘It’s a Fracking Conference’ panel discussion is to create awareness of the issue of fracking and the concerns it brings,” said Dr. Hankard.
“Manitoulin Island is made up of limestone shale rock,” said Dr. Hankard, who noted that fracking is being carried throughout Canada and which has led to recent protests in New Brunswick. “We are hearing about more fracking taking place in areas, and concerns that have been raised, especially since Bill C-45 and the repeal of the Navigable Waters Act, which means waters in Canada are not being protected as they should be.”
The panel discussed ‘What’s the Fracking Deal with Fracking,’ with Dr. Hankard as the moderator, Tina Eshkawkogan of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on water teachings, Chris Sabas and Carrie Peter, of the Christian Peacemaker Teams, providing eyewitness accounts from the Mi’kmaq fracking protest. Manitoulin resident Mike Wilton, president of Algonquin Eco Watch Group, will speak on ‘Groundwater: The lifeblood of mother earth,’ while Art Jacko, manager of lands and resources with the United Chiefs and Councils of M’nidoo M’nising, will speak on the First Nations policy on fracking. Roy Carlyle, an undergraduate student at the Department of Indigenous Studies, will provide a ‘thesis, antithesis, future of the environment from all my relatives.’
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Mr. Wilton explained, “I was contacted several months ago about attending this conference and being part of the panel. I’m really interested in groundwater and the negative effects fracking has on it.”
“It’s like an accumulative effect, death by 1,000 cuts,” said Mr. Wilton. “Every little thing we do to the environment may not seem like much at the time but severe damage can result in total loss when you take in things like fracking, road salting and headwater areas; the latter (headwater) tells us what is going on downstream in a water body.”
“With these and fracking they are going into the groundwater, and the chemicals they are using for fracking are heavier and slippery and fracking squeezes gas out of the rocks, but the chemicals stay back,” continued Mr. Wilton. “And limestone is one of the main areas they seem to find, and we all know Manitoulin Island is on limestone.”
“Like so many other issues, fracking is being done without the public being told exactly what it is doing to the water and the environment,” said Mr. Wilton.
“Water is considered the lifeblood, according to First Nations,” said Dr. Hankard. “It is crucially important for First Nation people.”
“It is important to bring awareness of fracking and the concerns,” said Dr. Hankard. “I know, for instance, that some of my students know a little about fracking, while some have no idea what it is. In Europe and the US, as well as Canada, there have been protests against fracking being allowed in different areas, and in several states in Michigan and at least one province in Canada fracking is banned.”
“Some of the serious issues involving fracking need to be looked at,” said Dr. Hankard. “Another reason panels like this are so important is because in a conversation with a person in the policy department of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), I was told the ministry has no policy on fracking, that this is still in the research stage.”
Dr. Hankard explained that Mr. Jacko is on the panel to outline the UCCM policy, which is opposed to any fracking taking place on Manitoulin. “Fracking is an important environmental concern,” he said. “As First Nations people we are taught to look at seven generations down the road and the need for clean water and air. Water is one if not our most precious resources and Canada has the most freshwater in the world; it is important to keep them clean.”
