Crown lands remain accessible to area visitors this year
Camping, picnicking, exploring, berry picking and other uses of Crown lands along the northern coast of Georgian Bay near Killarney village will continue this summer. This includes Philip Edward Island, a popular camping spot for kayakers and canoeists. Some of these lands are part of a Native land claim that is still in the consultation phase and is expected to remain unsettled for several more years. For more information about the Claim, see below.
The Wiikwemkoong Islands Specific Claim (also called the 41 Islands Claim)
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Indian Reserve is located on the eastern portion of Manitoulin Island, and also has lands on the mainland, known as Point Grondine Reserve. This northern boundary of the Reserve abuts the Killarney Highway (Hwy 637). Its southern boundary follows the coastline of Georgian Bay, near the east end of Philip Edward Island and beyond.
Wiikwemkoong first filed a claim for the 41 islands in the mid-1980s, and then a court case for 23,000 islands. In 2006, negotiations formally began on the 41 Islands Specific Claim. The court case for 23,000 islands is on hold until the 41 Islands Claim is settled. The public consultation phase for this Claim ended on January 6th, 2016. The Province is also conducting an environmental assessment on the lands in the proposed settlement agreement as well as consulting with interested Aboriginal stakeholders.
The Municipality’s response to the Claim
Members of Council considered information about the Islands Specific Claim over the course of several months, as outlined below.
An information session hosted by the OMAA was held in the community hall in the fall of 2015, for the purpose of providing ratepayers with an opportunity to become informed about the Claim. The OMAA invited the Municipality and the general public to provide their Ministry with feedback about the proposed land settlement agreement.
On September 16th, 2015, the Municipality held a public meeting of its own, at which ratepayers were encouraged to present their views to Council regarding the land claim.
On September 30nd, 2015, a delegation of Council members met informally with the Chief and some staff of the Wiikwemkoong Band, to discuss a number of related concerns.
Members of Council considered every piece of correspondence that the Municipality received on the issue from various ratepayers.
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