Indigenous leaders in Fort Chipewyan in northern Alberta are accusing the federal government of failing to inform them of environmental contamination in their community.
The leaders’ concerns are focused on a federally owned dock within the community, known locally as the “big dock.”
The dock is commonly used by community members for fishing, trapping, hunting, swimming and other recreational activities and is near the water intake for the town’s drinking supply.
According to the Indigenous leaders, the government has tried to sell the dock to the community since 2013.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) Chief Allan Adam said his nation asked Transport Canada to dredge the dock for emergency purposes due to historically low water levels and wildfires within 2 kilometres of the community’s airport.
He said Ottawa refused, leading ACFN to apply to the government to dredge the dock itself, which again was refused with little explanation.
Adam said it was during the application process that a third-party contractor leaked information revealing the department deemed the site contaminated as early as 2017, but had failed to notify the community.
The leaders said reports and preliminary reviews it conducted found the soil and water in and around the dock contained significant amounts of carcinogenic compounds at levels exceeding the legal thresholds for safe human use.
Adam believes the pollution came from a tailings pond leakage.
He said the findings are particularly jarring as the community is grappling with high rates of cancer compared to the rest of the province.
“This is environmental racism and this is deadly,” he said. “I’m sorry, but yet again the Federal government has let (this community) down. I understand if you are hurt or scared and you have every right to be.”
Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro accused the government of actively participating in a “cover-up.”
“It is a cover-up because for seven years…this was swept under the rug,” he said. “We don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be from this.”
This isn’t the first time the community has grappled with environmental contamination.
ACFN previously accused Imperial Oil of covering up a massive spill that occurred at the company’s Kearl tar sands facility in 2022 upstream of the community.
In August, the Alberta Energy Regulator fined Imperial Oil $50,000 for the spill. Earlier this year, ACFN filed a lawsuit against the regulator, alleging it failed to inform the community about the contamination.
“I guess it is kind of in line with the Imperial incident because, again, information was withheld but this time it’s on a grander scale,” Tuccaro said.
Transport Canada said in a written statement that the department commissioned a risk assessment on the dock in 2017 which determined the site was not likely to pose any risks to human health.
A statement from Minister Anita Anand’s office said there is no risk to human health based on assessments that have been conducted over the years.
“Our Government is working with the local First Nations community to ensure that operations at the port facility are carried out safely. Remote and Indigenous communities must have access to the safe and reliable connectivity that they need,” said Laurent de Casanove, a spokesperson in her office.
He added that Transport Canada has advised that the process of dredging would move contaminated sediment, which is why dredging cannot take place. He said work is ongoing to figure out the best path forward to remediate the sediment at the site.
The minister’s office further noted conversations with Fort Chipewyan regarding procurement of the dock “never progressed” preventing detailed information from being shared.
The Indigenous leaders said its working with the local health authority to figure out next steps and is asking community members to refrain from accessing the dock area.
They said they’re also considering legal action and have requested for Anand to travel to the community to come meet with them in-person.
“It boils down to truth and reconciliation. You guys want us to move forward, be honest and truthful with us,” Tuccaro said.
“Transport Canada, the Federal government, this is your warning. That if you do not come to us, we’ll take it to you.”
Fort Chipewyan community members wishing to receive a health screening can call (780) 697-3650.
