Peel plan protesters rally across Yukon and N.W.T.

People in Dawson City rally to protest the Yukon government's plan to open the Peel River watershed to development. (Courtesy of Ricky Mawunganidze / CBC.ca)
People in Dawson City rally to protest the Yukon government’s plan to open the Peel River watershed to development. (Courtesy of Ricky Mawunganidze / CBC.ca)
Protesters gathered across the northern Canadian territories of Yukon and the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) on Wednesday to show their opposition to the Yukon government’s land-use plan for the Peel watershed.

Demonstrations were held in Mayo, Dawson City, Haines Junction and Whitehorse in the Yukon, and Inuvik, Fort McPherson and Aklavik in the Northwest Territories.

Bobbi-Jo Greenland, a member of the Tetlit Gwich’in in Aklavik, says the Peel plan isn’t good for her people.

“It’s a big concern,” she said. “We were hoping that YTG (Yukon Territorial Government) would follow the recommendation plan but instead they went and did the complete opposite and we’re not happy with that.”

The government’s plan for the area allows mining in 71 per cent of the region.

Earlier this week, the Nacho Nyak Dun and the Tr’ondek Hwech’in first nations and two conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Yukon government over the plan.

The groups say the government’s land use plan for the Peel River watershed violates land claims signed with First Nations.

CBC News

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