Loss of Georgian Bay

The Ontario government is misleading the public into believing that it must give islands in Georgian Bay, islands that tens of thousands of Ontarians have used for generations, to Wiikwemkoong Indian Band, descendants of about 20 American Indians who emigrated to Canada around 1830. Ministry of Indigenous Affairs confirmed recently that it uses land claims to promote economic, cultural and community development for natives by giving away our Ontario land. Land claims are no longer just about treaties but have become a way to give more to Natives without accountability to the public. Taking thousands of islands worth over $1,000,000,000 from public use and giving them to natives with no connection to these islands is not fair nor just. The fact that non-natives, not the Wiikwemkoong, have used these islands for many generations is being ignored by the government. This land claim conspiracy must be exposed and stopped because Wiikwemkoong have stated that they intend to claim another 23,000 islands in their next island land claim.

Native blockades

The recent native blockades of the rail lines show that governments are unable to remove them in a timely manner to allow the public access. Native blockages of water ways are also possible and Ontario is creating a dangerous situation by giving away control of northern Georgian Bay. The Beaverstone River was blocked in 2016 preventing canoers and kayakers access to this river which passes through Wiikwemkoong’s Point Grondine reserve.Wiikwemkoong has also requested mainland, which has nothing to do with 41 islands, and Ontario’s MIA has said yes; so, land on highway 400 and other mainland properties will also be given to Wiikwemkoong. The mainland blocks adjacent to Collins Inlet which connects Georgian Bay to Beaverstone Bay is ripe for a blockade preventing thousands of boaters from accessing the route that the voyageurs have used since the 1600’s.Governments must show leadership and Minister Rickford is looking the other way.

How is it possible that a claim for land to build fishing huts on 41 islands can expand to thousands of kilometers of Georgian Bay shoreline and tens of thousands of islands encompassing much of Georgian Bay? It would appear that natives, even descendants of American natives only have to ask. This is the second land claim by Wiikwemkoong, (aka Wikwemikong) the first one being settled in 1995 with Wikwemikong receiving $13,900,000 of Canadian taxpayers’ money and a tripling of their Point Grondine ceded reserve. The value of the land was not disclosed to the public.

Ontario has withheld vital information pertaining to this current "give-a-way" but many of these documents have been obtained from other sources and are available for download under the "Documents" tab. For example, the 1896 Toma map of the 41 islands referenced in the claim does not include Philip Edward or George Island.

Even more disturbing is the discovery of an earlier map from National Archives. This 1876 map shows the indigenous fishing area of Wikwemikong to be smaller than the later Toma map. The map shows fishing between Fitzwilliam Island and Manitoulin but not around Fitzwilliam Island. It does not show Philip Edward Island or any of the surrounding islands near Killarney Park, and it does not show George Island in Killarney. The government is relying on an altered map to mislead the public.