New cottage development threatens Hollow Water

Iain Bushie fills house

Morgan Modjeski, staff

On Sept 14 2007, the First Nations people of Hollow Water, led by Chief Iain Bushie, put in place a blockade to halt access to cottage development in the area. The blockade is at the mouth of the Rice River Road off of the 304 Highway on the East side of Lake Winnipeg.

Hollow Water First Nations, with a population of 1,350, are located on the east side of Lake Winnipeg about 150 km North of Winnipeg. The Cottage development is being put up only 10 minutes away from the reserve.

At Mondragon, a bookstore and coffee shop located in the Winnipeg exchange district, Bushie spoke about the protest against the developments.

He said that the blockades are not about the housing development or money, but about the consequences that housing development will have on the environment of their traditional lands.

“In order to insure the protection of traditional land, these cottagers must be pulled, not because of money, but because of mother nature. The blockade is not about the cottage development, but about the preservation of Hollow Water and its natural Environment.”

Freeman Simard, a resident at Hollow Water, who has been a commercial fisherman on Lake Winnipeg for the last 30 years, mentioned that changes are already starting to be seen in the composition in the lake and also in the community.

“Already there is debris, and algae, it will eventually get worst and then it will really start to jeopardizes our way of life. That lake is my job.”

Simard also went on to say that there is no respect for the First Nations from the people who are constantly going to and from the new development.

“The people who are working on the development burn up and down that road like there is no tomorrow. It’s not even an asphalt road, its just gravel and its really getting torn up.”

Bushie is not willing to negotiate the issue with the government.

“I feel strongly that are land was stolen from us, and everyone knows what happens when you buy stolen property, you have to get it back.

“If the government comes to the blockade about three hours from here, with a piece of paper saying that we have to move this blockade, I will just add that piece of paper to the wood for my fire.”