I am submitting the…

I am submitting the following comments regarding the proposed Environmental
Compliance Approval (ECA) for the Searchmont Ski Resort Wastewater Treatment
Plant (WWTP) and its proposed discharge to the Goulais River. My comments are coming not only as a resident of Goulais River but an Anishinaabe-kwe of Batchewana First Nation. Batchewana First Nation and its original reserve area fall within our reserve boundaries but from Shared territory from the St. Mary's River to Lake Superior watershed. As you know, one community that falls under our first nation is Goulais Bay with land along the shores of Goulais Bay.

My comments are based on the information provided in the Design Brief (including the
Assimilative Capacity Study), publicly available ERO postings, and provincial policies
and guidelines. All references below are taken directly from the documents provided to
the public. The concerns I have are as followed:
1) Lack of community engagement and public consultation - Meaningful consultation is a core principle of the Environmental Bill of Rights. Without access to key documents, the public cannot provide informed comment.
2)Species at Risk (SAR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Are Missing from the completed document available to the public. The Goulais River is home not only to significant aquatic species but also a home to many wildlife habitat and migratory bird species. The Goulais River is one of very few spawning grounds and home to the culturally important species we call Nme, also known as the Strugeon not to mention the many other fish species.
3)The Monitoring Dataset Does Not Meet MECP Expectations. Through research and conversation in community, the MECP required two to three years of available monitoring data where this submitted application only provided sixteen(16) months which MECP deemed acceptable.

In addition to the comments, I would like to add my own personal experience with the Goulais River and why it holds a special place in my heart and community. The Goulais river is home to many culturally important species that are a vital part of who we are as Anishinaabe people. The Goulais river is a tributary to the Goulais Bay and Lake Superior. The Goulais Reserve has been under a Boil Water Advisory for years in the past since the development of our Water Treatment Plant that directly in-takes from the Bay. We have gentlemen and younger men carrying on the tradition of commercial fishing within the Goulais Bay and area who rely on this waterway for their livelihood.

Since moving to the Goulais Area we have spent a lot of time year-round not only on the river itself but on the Bay netting with Elder's from the community, boating and camping along the river with family and friends and ice fishing with my younger siblings. I want to protect this River for not only my future children but my future grandchildren as well. It’s about ensuring that development does not harm the Goulais River — a river that is ecologically significant, culturally important, and directly connected to Lake Superior. The introduction of effluent waste into the Goulais River will come with multiple long-
term consequences. Respectfully, we need the MECP to recognize that this is not a
municipality that has Canadian residents and waste management issues and demands
that urgently need to be addressed.