Open Message to Mayor Watson and City Council,

Attached is a copy of a letter hand-delivered to Minister Chan as well as to the press gallery at Queen’s Park.  The provincial leader of the NDP rose in the Ontario Legislature to call attention to it.

As you read this letter, ask yourself whether this is indicative of the quality of decision making that the people of Ottawa expect from all of you.  On what expert authority is the decision to ignore important archaeological potential being based?

• It isn’t the expertise of licensed archaeologists – the city has NONE on staff and none were contracted by the city to review the situation.  The two licensed experts who did review the new evidence have called for a new study.
• It isn’t the Ministry of Tourism and Culture who have clearly stated that they only review reports presented to them and that they have downloaded the approval authority to the city when it comes to requiring new studies.  Only the City as the approval authority, or the Minister of Culture acting on an emergency basis, can order that a new study be done.
• It isn’t the City Council’s advisory committee on Arts and Heritage that has unanimously recommended that a new study be done.
• It isn’t the people whose direct heritage is being ignored.  ALL the Algonquin First Nations on both sides of the Ottawa River have expressed their concern and requested that a new review be done.  Furthermore the City Council’s new advisory subcommittee on Aboriginal Affairs has also unanimously recommended that a new study be done.

The answer according to the Mayor is that the decision has been made by a non-professional archaeologist (J. Moser) based on a legal opinion city counsel (T. Marc) – neither of whom have any training or expertise in archaeology.  This is the same legal counsel who recently stood against public interest groups at an OMB hearing and challenged the affidavits presented by the public because they were submitted by non-professionals in the subjects being reviewed!

Is this the quality of decision making that City Council wants to rely on?  Decisions made by those apparently blind to their consequences because they are untrained to evaluate the information required to make the right decision?

The legal opinion only confirms that it is apparently legal in Ontario to embarrass the City and its leadership by relying on an out-dated study when it comes to development approvals.  Doesn’t say much for the quality of legislation used to protect cultural heritage.  It is equally legal to require that a new study be done at any time prior to registration of subdivision.

The City Council of Ottawa does not have to rely on a decision-making process that is blind to the facts.  Nor should Council allow the City to be embarrassed by decisions made by staff in such a flawed manner. 

With Fortitude,

Paul Renaud

South March Highlands – Carp River Conservation Inc.

Feb 1, 2011

Ms. Jarvis,

It is unfortunate that the decision to proceed with clear cutting, along with the remarks made by Mr. Sachs in the media, provoked a response by Algonquins and others.  Now that the situation is even more entrenched than before, we suggest that it is important to realize that greater sensitivity by Urbandale to the widespread community interest in this area is key to effective communication.  This includes greater sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of both native and non-native communities.

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Mr. Sachs wants to know why the Algonquin consider this land to be Sacred.  Prior to commenting on aboriginal religious beliefs in the media, don’t you think it would be more productive for him to first seek to understand those beliefs?

We believe that if Mr. Sachs truly wants an answer to this question he may wish to meet with the person who declared that the land is Sacred to all indigenous people of the Ottawa River watershed.  In his message to Ottawa City Council, Grandfather William Commanda, the principal Algonquin spiritual Elder of both Ontario and Quebec and beyond, Ancestral Carrier of the three Sacred Wampum Belts that pre-date the arrival of Europeans to this area, clearly sets out that the South March Highlands is a place of Manitou (Spirit).

We suggest that it would be very productive, and a gesture of significant goodwill, for Mr. Sachs to meet with Grandfather Commanda.  We would be willing to facilitate such a meeting should you wish to pursue one.

In the meantime, we strongly urge that KNL ceases  all tree clearing in the South March Highlands to improve the willingness of everyone to communicate instead of confronting one another.  We do not subscribe to the belief that it is possible to operate heavy equipment without disturbing underlying cultural resources, nor do we condone the mass killing of wildlife that winter time tree clearing inevitably causes.

By stopping tree clearing in favour of an independent archaeological review to be done on undisturbed land, you can enable us to work with you in asking the NCC to conduct such a review at no cost to KNL.    We already have a positive working relationship with the NCC and believe that a joint application will be successful because of the fact that it will come from both sides in this entrenched situation.

It is not too late to do the right thing and we would like to emphasize that our original letter is still on the table.

Sincerely,

Paul Renaud

South March Highlands – Carp River Conservation Inc.

January 13, 2011

Ms. Jarvis,

Further to our New Year’s letter of offer below, we were disappointed that you did not convey firsthand your reply to us when we met with Kitchi Makwa/Big Bear to discuss the stone circle.  At our meeting, I remained silent about our offer to you in deference to Kitchi Makwa’s desire to focus discussion on the fate of the medicine wheel.  Although we do not consider it helpful to have read your response, “While they’re protesting, we’ll be cutting”, subsequently in the press, we will respect your preference to communicate via the media instead of directly.

In the event that you may not be aware of recent developments, we wish to advise you that the Chiefs of 5 Algonquin First Nations as well as the spiritual Elder have recently written to all levels of government requesting that KNL’s proposed tree clearing be halted pending the completion of meaningful consultations with all stakeholders.

Please appreciate the fact that these native leaders believe they have an un-extinguished right to, and therefore a legal interest in, all property within the South March Highlands because of the fact that it lies within unceded, unconquered, and unsurrendered Algonquin territory. 

We have been informed that they consider your planned destruction of the forest to be a violation of traditional Algonquin Law and, especially when viewed in that context, we think their request for meaningful consultation prior to further destruction of the forest is both reasonable and appropriate.

We would like to believe that Urbandale conducts its affairs responsibly, so we ask that you respect their request and voluntarily agree to suspend your plans so that you can participate in consultations also.  

Not only will proceeding unilaterally against their objections be viewed as disrespectful by the 14,500 members of public who support us,  it may unnecessarily escalate or inflame public opinion among both the native and non-native community who normally think that communication is preferable to confrontation.  We wish to observe that your moral, legal, and community posture can only be diminished by refusing to respect their request.

 Sincerely,

 Paul Renaud

South March Highlands – Carp River Conservation Inc.

Urbandale Protest Demonstration

On January 8, 2011 a public demonstration was held in support of Grandfather William Commanda’s letter of protest to the City of Ottawa.  The 97 year old spiritual Elder for the Algonquin First Nation attended the rally and delivered prayers in 3 languages despite the snowstorm that surrounded us.

Grandfather Albert Dumont opened the proceedings with a prayer for peace and I then spoke the following to the 100+ people in attendence:

Message from South March Highlands – Carp River Conservation Inc.

When people form coalitions so that they can speak louder, it is a sign that their government isn’t listening.

When people take their government to court, it is a sign that their right to fair government was violated.

When people take to the streets in protest, it is a sign that their government is failing them.

We are here to tell our governments that their failure to protect the South March Highlands is irresponsible government!

How is it possible for any responsible government to knowingly allow the destruction of the most bio-diverse area in their city and in their national capital?

We have documented 675 species of life in the South March Highlands and are still discovering more because there are well over 1,000 to be found.

• Of these no fewer than 20 species are officially designated as species-at-risk of extinction.

So what does our government do?

• It builds a road that they acknowledge will sever the eco-connectivity of this area, choking off the natural function of wildlife.
• Just take a look at the Berlin Wall on Terry Fox Drive and you will understand why we needed to appeal our court case.
• And like a robot, our government continues to allow the ongoing destruction of this great forest with one subdivision after another.

The place where you are standing [Holy Trinity High School in Kanata] was once a natural part of the South March Highlands.  Yet, in spite of 20 years of protest and overwhelming evidence to the contrary, our government has allowed this destruction to proceed because they lack the political will to stop it.

This place wasn’t always called the South March Highlands.

A long time ago, the Anishinabe people saw an island that looked like a great turtle rising from the sea and from that point forward they understood that the turtle was an integral symbol of creation.

10,000 years ago, when the waters of the Champlain Sea receded, this highland area was also a freshwater island surrounded by a salt water sea.

• There are no fewer than 3 species of turtle among the 20 species at risk in this area.
• Do you think that this is symbolic of how our modern society has become so disconnected from creation?

We have found evidence that the Anishnabek, who are the ancestors of all the First Nations in eastern Canada and USA, lived here 500 generations ago:

1. The archaeological survey done by the City for Terry Fox Drive called for a follow-up study that according to the Ministry of Culture was never done.
2. Just down the street from here on Richardson Ridge, the archaeological survey done by the developer found conclusive evidence of a tool-making site that was estimated to be 10,000 years old.

This study was confirmed by world experts but rejected by the developer who is now in court for not having paid the archaeologist. Meanwhile the area has been clear-cut and blasted to the extent that they had to close Kanata Avenue last fall.

3. On Huntmar Ridge, last July we reported the finding of another tool-making site that was similar to the one on Richardson Side road.

But the City has yet to find $25 K to hire an archaeologist to investigate because they are too busy wasting millions on Landsdowne Park.

4. According to Dr. McGhee, former president of the Canadian Archaeological Society, the archaeological survey done for Urbandale’s subdivision was fatally flawed because it failed to adequately consider native use of the area prior to the arrival of Europeans.
5. Recently we reported finding a site that may be a medicine wheel in the Beaver Pond Forest. As a result of a meeting with native people and Urbandale measures may be taken to safeguard it.

What else has been missed and why has the city not required Urbandale to do a proper study in view of all this overwhelming evidence that this entire area is possibly a national historic site?

The great spiritual elder of the Algonquin, Grandfather William Commanda, reminds us that beyond its archaeological history, the South March Highlands are, and I quote,

[a] living temple, a place of Manitou, a special place of nature
and that this precious reality also demands immediate protection and reverence.

We have much to learn from the native people to lived here long before us.

I’d like to read some of the words spoken by the Medicine Man Kitchi Makwa / Great Bear to Urbandale this week:

We the Anishnabek Peoples of this Land are very close to Nature, in fact we ARE part of nature.

This vision enables us to live harmoniously with Nature!

We are One with Nature and can only live in Peace when our actions are based on love and compassion for ALL living beings, including Nature!

When we live in this harmony with Nature, we become aware of past and present echoes of the forest.

My heart cries that future generations may not have this opportunity to know this forest.

Sadly, like us, many indigenous people have been recently removed from the energy and heritage of the forest. For many years our society has erased their history, art, and culture to the extent that they are almost invisible within our capital city.

But we represent the new voice of Canada.

• A voice that says that the protection and preservation of native heritage is important because it strengthens us all and teaches us many things.
• A voice that says that our society must return to what Grandfather Commanda calls a “sustainable relationship” with all living beings – regardless of colour, creed, and culture, and with respect for all species of life.
• A voice that says that we too are an integral part of this natural ecosystem. We do not walk on it, we exist within it, and we are only alive because of it.

Today we carry our voices to Urbandale to remind them that we have offered them a responsible way forward in this situation. A way forward that preserves the forest and compensates them fairly. We will remind them that greed is no substitute for responsibility.

I hope that all of you will also individually carry your voices to our government representatives and ask them to join us in this new 21st century of reconciliation with nature. Also to request that native culture and rights be respected and that this forest be protected.

As the native people of this area say:

When the last forest is gone, people will learn that you can’t eat money.

IT’s NOT TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING!