Treaty 2 Territory- The First Nations of Treaty 2 Territory are calling for CN to take additional preventative measures and track maintenance following the derailment of 37 cars near St. Lazare, Manitoba on Saturday that resulted in crude oil leaking out of 3 cars and onto the land. According to CN officials the leak has been contained and has not leaked into the nearby Assiniboine River. FNiT2T Care and Protection of the Natural World Secretariat expects to find out more later this week.
Chief Norman Bone Keeseekoowenin Ojibway Nation, Chief David LeDoux Gambler First Nation and Treaty 2 officials visited the site today to assess the damages. CN officials were contacted.
“As protectors of this land we are bothered by this,” said Grand Chief Eugene Eastman. “It is our responsibility to speak out when the land suffers like this. That being said we would like to commend CN for their efforts to get this cleaned up quickly. However, since this track is the busiest in Western Canada it is our position preventative measures need to be taken to avoid any repetition.”
“We want to work with area farmers and CN and remind the public that we are here to help find solutions to land-based issues in our territory rather than finding fault. Historically we have shared the land with others and we are committed to working with others to make our territory a better place to live.”
Last modified: February 18, 2019
