My friend submitted this and…

My friend submitted this and I as a fellow Batchewana First Nation member I agree with her statement:

I am writing as a Batchewana First Nation band member and a resident of Goulais River to express my opposition to the proposed wastewater treatment plant and discharge into the Goulais River.

This project represents a troubling example of corporate convenience taking priority over environmental responsibility. The resort has operated for years with systems that managed their waste without discharging into the river — systems that, while perhaps not perfect, did not place our community’s drinking water, ecosystems, or cultural values at risk. The decision to now pursue a discharge plan into the Goulais River feels premature and profit-driven.

If this expansion is truly about improving the resort and its future, then the responsible path is to invest in proper on-site treatment infrastructure — such as holding or evaporation ponds, or other contained systems — not in sending treated sewage into a river that sustains families, wildlife, and recreation. The resort’s desire to expand does not justify rushing an environmentally risky project that could leave permanent consequences.

If the treated wastewater is supposedly “safe,” I challenge the resort to use that same water for its snowmaking. I imagine their guests would quickly object to skiing on or being sprayed with treated sewage water. Yet that is effectively what this proposal asks the Goulais River community to accept — treated wastewater entering the very water we drink, fish from, and let our children play in.

This is not about opposing growth or tourism — it’s about responsibility and respect. The river is not an image problem to be managed or a dumping ground to make resort operations cheaper. It is a sacred resource and part of the identity of this region. The people here value the land and water far beyond economic benefit, and the Ministry has a duty to uphold those values in its decision-making.

I urge the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to:

Reject the wastewater discharge proposal into the Goulais River.

Require the resort to develop a self-contained wastewater management solution on-site.

Ensure that all monitoring data, environmental studies, and spill responses are publicly accessible and that affected communities are informed in real time of any incidents.

Ensure ongoing consultation with Batchewana First Nation and local residents before any approvals are granted.

Water is life — and once it’s contaminated, no amount of corporate messaging can restore what is lost. This project must not move forward until it reflects true environmental accountability, transparency, and respect for the people and ecosystems it impacts.