Over the weekend, Hollow Water took down the two blockades they set up nearly two months ago.
The decision came last week, shortly after the government threatened to move the Rice River winter road, which is the only land link between Winnipeg and half a dozen Indigenous Communities on the east side of Lake Winnipeg.
Removing the blockades, however was not so much a giving-in as it was a show of good faith to the MB Government–who has consistently also promised to talk with Hollow Water as long as the blockades are first taken down.
As promised, two days after the blockades came down, MB Conservation Minister Stan Struthers met with Chief Ian Bushie in Winnipeg.
“We have some work to do between our government [and] their government to make sure that we build a relationship that we can move forward with. To that end, it was a good meeting,” Struthers said after the meeting. Bushie agreed it was “very encouraging.”
Struthers has since postponed the cottage lot draw, has promised full consultation and mediation, and stated he is willing to work on a revenue-sharing deal on the cottage lots.
There is nothing more planned as yet, but Struthers has said he’s willing to drive up to Hollow Water for another meeting.
Further Reading
More At Play Than a Few Manitoba Cottage Lots
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