TORONTO – After weeks of delay and two adjournments, Wahgoshig First Nation finally had its day in court on December 20, 2011. The hearing of Wahgoshig’s injunction motion lasted the full day and went in to the early evening. A decision is expected in mid-late January. If Wahgoshig is successful, Solid Gold Resources Corp. will be unable to drill for some period of time.
“I am cautiously optimistic about all of this. I just hope that the court will make sure our rights are respected,” said Wahgoshig Chief David Babin. “This company has been extremely disrespectful and has failed to take any appropriate steps to consult with and accommodate our community. Even the Crown has been telling Solid Gold to stop drilling, but the company refuses. Now we can only hope that the court will stop them because it appears they won’t listen to anyone else.”
Solid Gold has been on Wahgoshig’s traditional territory since at least the spring of 2011, when Wahgoshig community members first discovered the company by accident on the land. The area in which Solid Gold is drilling is replete with cultural heritage values and sites, including burial grounds.