To the People of Turtle Island,

According to a 2008 statistic, Walpole Island First Nation "Bkejwanong' contains 17,000 acres of internationally recognized World Class Wetlands, perhaps the largest in the Great Lake Basin. The Great Lakes are 84% of North America's surface fresh water, about 21% of the worlds supply. A business plan presented to Chief and Council is threatening to clear and poison 1 of the 6 islands that make Bkejwanong.

St. Anne’s Island is a home/passing to approximately 20 different at risk species—not including plant life. These wetlands have a long history of being the economic base of the community, which relies on the resource for hunting, fishing, harvesting, livelihood, conservation and heritage. 

Between 70-80% of Southern Ontario’s original wetland area has been lost to development, with agricultural being the major cause.

This petition is in response to the “St. Anne’s Conservation Club” business proposal presented to Bkejwanong Chief and Council Tuesday April 27, 2021. We the undersigned petition Chief and Council to decline said business plan, which proposes to drain and clear 1,200 acres of wetlands for farming. We the undersigned do not support the destruction of St. Anne’s wetlands and the use of any chemical compounds to be used upon agricultural or marshlands that will cause harm to Bkejwanong’s ecosystem. All we need is your signature to make a difference. Miigwech (Thank you).