First and foremost, I want to thank the over 2,500 people that have signed my petition, especially Pictou Landing Chief Andrea Paul and Dr. Ingrid Waldron. Chief Paul is a servant leader, who has long championed efforts for indigenous communities against corporate greed and corruption, and Dr. Waldron is the author of the book There’s Something in the Water and co-producer of the documentary, alongside Ellen Page. I am inspired by all of these women and their continued fight to raise awareness about environmental racism and to protect their communities and our country at all costs.  

Of note, since A’se’k Day on April 30, when Northern Pulp finally stopped polluting the Boat Harbour, we have seen some developments that threaten to bring back environmentally racist pollution to the Boat Harbour and could Northern Pulp off the hook.

First, in May, the provincial government and Paper Excellence came to an agreement in which the government would pay up to $10 million toward Northern Pulp's effort to remove the effluent treatment pipe that connected the mill to Boat Harbour. It’s insulting for the government to use money from people that have endured half a century of pollution to pay the company responsible for their suffering. I cannot sit idly while the provincial government of Nova Scotia continues to support Northern Pulp financially, despite the company not paying back its debts.

Second, Northern Pulp decided to continue its push to move its pollution from Pictou Landing’s “front yard” in the Boat Harbour to its “back yard” in the Northumberland Strait. Despite the provincial government giving the company another chance after Northern Pulp failed to complete a serious environmental study – that the government helped fund – the company is pressuring the government by lashing out against its reasonable requirements for maintaining the Boat Harbour Mill. Northern Pulp has clearly demonstrated that it is unwilling to take the concerns of indigenous people and the provincial government seriously but will keep taking money and avoid responsibility.

Sign this petition now and together we will show Northern Pulp that enough is enough!