Indigenous leaders raise concerns over contamination at Transport Canada dock

The issue came to light in the spring, when the Athasbasca Chipewyan First Nation contacted Ottawa to dredge the dock following low water levels and the threat of wildfires

Indigenous leaders in Fort Chipewyan, Alta., are raising concerns the federal government did not inform them about contamination at a Transport Canada dock.

The government says they looked into it in 2017, but the leaders say they just became aware of it this year.

“This dock is in the middle of our community. Our kids swim there, people eat berries from the land and bring it to the shores of the big dock. There’s fish there. It is also close to the water intake for the town’s drinking water. We even have fishing derbies every year,” Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam said in a virtual press conference to members of the media Wednesday morning.

“All things Transport Canada was aware of, but never told us of the contamination,” he claimed.

The issue came to light in the spring, when the Athasbasca Chipewyan First Nation contacted Ottawa to dredge the dock following low water levels and the threat of wildfires in the area.

Fort Chipeywan is an isolated community with no roads in and out of the area. Their only escape in the event of evacuation emergencies is by plane or water.

Their request to dredge the dock was denied.

The community enlisted a contractor to see if they could do the work themselves. It was that third-party group that learned about the federal government’s 2017 health risk assessment.