FORT CHIPEWYAN, Alberta— Indigenous leaders in Fort Chipewyan are accusing the federal government of covering up contamination near a dock in their community on Lake Athabasca.
At a press conference on October 2, leaders from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), Mikisew Cree First Nation, and the Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation revealed they recently learned of a 2017 federal report indicating high levels of contaminants, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and uranium, as well as other carcinogens near the dock. Of the 35 sites tested in the area, 33 showed contamination, with some levels exceeding human safety thresholds.
The discovery of the report on contamination was unintentional. ACFN Chief Allan Adam said the Nation had asked Transport Canada to dredge the dock for emergency purposes, citing historically low water levels and wildfires within two kilometers of the community’s airport. Ottawa declined the request. When ACFN sought approval to do the dredging themselves, the government again refused, offering little explanation.
Adam said it was during the application process that a third-party contractor leaked information showing the site had been classified as contaminated as early as 2017, but the community had not been informed.
The 63-year-old dock, owned by the federal government, is a central part of the community and is frequently used for recreation, swimming, and fishing. Local residents also harvest wild berries from the surrounding area. For more than eight years, Ottawa has been trying to transfer ownership of the dock to the community under the federal Port Asset Transfer Program, without ever disclosing its contamination.
Chief Adam accused the government of environmental racism, saying the community had been kept in the dark about the pollution. “This is environmental racism, and this is deadly,” he said. “Once again, the federal government has let this community down. I understand if people are hurt or scared, and they have every right to be.”
Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro echoed Adam’s concerns, calling it a cover-up. “For seven years… this was swept under the rug,” Tuccaro said. “We don’t know what the long-term effects are going to be from this.”
Harvard Media News has reached out to Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.