December 16, 2013 / Little Buffalo, AB / At approximately, 5:00 MST, a Calgary Judge granted an order of injunction against a peaceful gathering organized to protect Lubicon traditional territory from fracking by oil giant Penn West Petroleum Ltd.
Penn West filed for an injunction late last week asking that a 7 day order of injunction be granted. The judge in this case went beyond the request and granted a 6 month order of injunction, which requires two days’ notice according to the Public Lands Act. According to Cynthia Tomlinson, Lands & Negotiations Advisor for the Lubicon Lake Nation, that notice was not given. “Two business days were not provided to properly consider the case. Our legal counsel were only informed Thursday evening that this case was coming forward on Friday morning and reheard on Monday.”
The Lubicon people have been braving extreme winter temperatures for the last three weeks to prevent fracking on a swath of land that holds deep cultural, historical, and environmental significance for the Nation located between Sawn and Haig Lakes. “This is not the end of this fight, on the land or in the courts,” Said Cynthia Tomlinson.
The Lubicon Lake Nation is calling on the international community to stand up and take notice of their struggle. “This is yet another example of what the United Nations has already ruled in the Lubicon case. We as people do not have effective redress in the Canadian legal and regulatory system and it is actively being used as a tool to exterminate us in favor of natural resource development” said Chief Bernard Ominayak following the hearing result and indicated that the Lubicon Lake Nation would be bringing forward an appeal as they were clearly denied the opportunity to respond to the court in this case.
The Lubicon Lake Nation is home to the longest unresolved land claim in Canadian history. The Nation’s traditional territory includes some of the richest oil and gas reserves on the planet. The federal and provincial governments have undertaken to support outside economic development instead of recognizing the inherent rights of the Lubicon people. To date, more than $14 billion worth of oil and gas has been extracted from their territory without their consent.
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For More Information Contact:
Cynthia Tomlinson, B.A.
Advisor, Lands & Negotiations
Lubicon Lake Nation
P.O. Box 6731 Stn. Main
Peace River, AB T8S-1S5
(780) 629-3945 Office
(780) 625-2576 Cell
(780) 629-3939 Fax
www.LubiconLakeNation.ca
@LubiconNation
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