Innu community files injunction to stop Anticosti drilling

An Innu communityhas laid the groundwork for a legal battle against acontroversial planto drill for oil and gas on Anticosti Island.

EkuanitshitChief Jean-Charles Pietacho filed an injunction against Hydrocarbons Anticosti, a partnership partly owned by the Quebecgovernment and oil companyPetrolia.

• How a Quebec island became the centre of a debate over oil and gas exploration
• Quebec will let Petrolia go ahead with its plans to drill on Anticosti

Pietacho says his community, located near Anticosti, and all Indigenous people arelegally entitled to be consulted on big projects a right he claimswas violated.

"We are affirming our rights," he said.

Hydrocarbons Anticosti is licensed to search for oil on the island this summer.

It plans to use thecontroversial practice ofhydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, to find oil and gas, which involvesshatteringrock by pumping water into the ground.

"The impacts would be major," Pietachosaid, fearing the island's salmon will go extinct because 30 million litres of theisland's river water will be used in the fracking.

• Salmon population at risk if Anticosti exploration continues, says federation

Pietacho's worries have been echoed by environmental groups who, as early as this week, have called forthe provincial government to halt its plans.

"If you have a summer that's too dry, salmon will die. That's it, we'll lose our entire population," Jean Boudreault, president of theQuebec Federation for Atlantic Salmon, said on Monday. "We cannot take that risk."

We will be here. We're waiting for you.-Ekuanitshit Chief Jean-Charles Pietacho

The Ekuanitshit First Nation also received the support of the Assembly of First Nations this week, whichpassed a resolution backing their fight against the development.

But some are disappointed it's come to this point.

"It's difficult to accept that we still have to rely on the court to have both government and the industry respect the fundamental right of First Nations," saidGhislainPicard, the chief of the Assembly ofFirst NationsofQuebecand Labrador.

Injunction or not, Pietacho vows there will be no fracking on Anticosti.

The community is prepared to blockade the island to stop the exploration, according to Pietacho.

"We will be here. We're waiting for you," he said.

Both Hydrocarbons Anticosti and the Quebecgovernment refused to comment for this story.