The following remarks were given by David Muswaggon from Pimicikamak Cree Nation at the Keeyask Generation Project Public Hearings.
“Yesterday, while I was at this hearing, I received a call from one of my people, an elderly woman. Her husband and her live on social assistance. I want to share this story with you. They do not work. To make ends meet, they fish domestically to feed their family. They are so poor they can’t even afford a snow machine. They pull a big sleigh to go check their net out in the lake. Since freeze-up they had their net out to get whatever fish they can to consume, sell a little bit to survive. While they are going to check their net with no snowmobile, they had to pull their sled with all of their gear to check this thing. Recently Manitoba Hydro has been releasing so much water, causing so much slush to accumulate above the surface. It is hidden under the snow, the blanket of snow. With all of that weight, it weakens the ice. While out checking their net, the elderly woman’s husband fell through the ice, and they were there almost every day checking his net. She told me her husband almost drowned. She was able to save him. This has traumatized the family. So you can hear, this is one of the adverse effects facing my people. Hydro continues to manufacture risk on our lands and waters. This is the truth.” – David Muswaggon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation
Testimony of David Muswaggon from Pimicikamak Cree Nation. Manitoba Clean Environment Commission (MCEC). Keeyask Generation Project Public Hearings. (December 4, 2013). Transcript of Hearings Held at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, MB. Volume 22; page 5040-5041. Retrieved from the MCEC website: http://cecmanitoba.ca/hearings/keeyask-generation-project/doc/Transcripts/Transcripts_-_Keeyask_Winnipeg_Hearing_Dec_4,20131.pdf
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