This article was first published in The Nation
When the Cree Nation Government signed a forestry co-management agreement with the Quebec government in 2015, Waswanipi members were unhappy that the protected area did not include their section of the Broadback Valley. A letter from Premier Philippe Couillard was then annexed to the deal, affirming the government’s willingness to have “meaningful discussions” to include Waswanipi.
Two-thirds of the Broadback forest are presently set aside for protection and forestry companies have been abiding by a voluntary moratorium on logging, but an aggressive logging proposal revealed earlier this year threatening the region once again.
