Ont. uranium plans on hold amid native protest threats

A uranium mining company has put its operations on hold in an eastern Ontario community, leaving residents with mixed feelings.

Frontenac Ventures left North Frontenac Township, about 110 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, last week, after local First Nations threatened to hold a day or multiple days of protest. Frontenac plans to develop uranium deposits in the area.

Both the Sharbot Lake Algonquin First Nation and the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation say they are opposed to the development, which involves mainly Crown land that is the subject of ongoing land claim negotiations with the provincial and federal governments.

George White, president of Frontenac Ventures, said Chief Doreen Davis of the Sharbot Lake Algonquin First Nation asked the company to withdraw until the days of protest are complete.

The company is trying to negotiate with the Sharbot Lake First Nation, White said. But it is not concerned about protests from the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, which has no legal claim to the land the companying is eyeing, White said.

The company plans toresumedevelopmenton the Crown and privately held land where it has staked mineral rights, White said.

"We legally hold [mineral] title to the 30,000-plus acres that we have and we intend to proceed," he said, adding that the company will do so in an environmentally friendly way.

Company owes $10,000 for roads: contractor

Meanwhile, Scott Gemmill, who owns a sand and gravel company, said Frontenac Ventures owes him $10,000 for the roads he had been building for the firm, and has given him no word as to when the company will be back.

He said the OPP visited his office last week in Snow Road Station and told him to movethe company'sequipment out of the area where they were building roads.

"So we had to pull out and move on," Gemmill said.

The OPP denies that it told the company to shut down.

Gemmill said he favours the development.

"We're in business and we've got to survive here, and our family's been here for over 100 years," he said. "So we're up for development and growth."

According to Ron Maguire, the mayor of North Frontenac County, Frontenac Ventures has promised a meeting withNorthFrontenac Township council Thursday to explain its future plans.

Protest organized for meeting day

Opponents, including both natives and non-natives, said they plan to hold a protest the same day.

Among the opponentsis Frank Morrison,a non-aboriginal landowner who is helping organize the protest.

He learned his property in the village of Plevna, Ont., had been staked out by the company when he discovered trees cut down and pink marking tape on his land while he was out gathering firewood one day.

In Canada, resources that lie under private property are generally considered to belong to the Crown.

Morrison said he is concerned about the effect the uranium development is having on his enjoyment of the property, and about possible environmental effects such as water contamination.

"My wife and I, when we moved up here, we took all our eggs and put them in one basket," he said. "There's a huge hole in that basket right now."