Your Stories and Reactions....

Here are a some quotes and information from people I'm in contact with about uranium exploration and mining in the area:

Read the text of Gloria and Frank Morrison's ordeal in North Frontenac here:
http://no-uranium.blogspot.com/2007/07/gloria-and-frank-morrisons-ordeal-how.html

"This is a nightmare. I do not want anyone on my land, mining and taking samples. I do not give them permisson and neither does my husband. This is so dishonest to yank land from under our noses especially when we have worked for years to pay for it."

"I just finished re-building our family cottage that my grandparents bought over 60 years ago. Now all these claims are being explored. I don't know what to do - should I sell or should I hold on?"

"I am finding the uranium mining issue more & more a grave threat to my family as Ottawa would be between two mines fairly close together [Eastern Ontario and West Quebec]. We are looking at moving. It is starting to look like we are being sold out by our governments. I am also very disappointed as I have never felt so violated by the people we (over)pay to protect & govern us."

"...my first thoughts were to acquire all rights myself and then just sit on them."

"[I am] ...strongly against uranium mining due to the devastating impact it would have on our tourism industry."

"...it's a shame to not be able to enjoy your property without the shadow of a developer hanging over you. It's getting harder to have faith in the good intentions of either big government or big business."

"[It] ...shows how aggressive... [the] claims process can be, while also hiding just below people's line of vision before the actual drilling and mining commence - and then it is too late. Business and share-holders are the priorities, not people and the environment and house/cottage prices!"

"I had been thinking of re-building my cottage. This could be really bad for us."

"We bought our cottage only a few years ago. We've basically re-built it because it was in pretty bad shape. We put in a lot of work. We are very concerned, after all this time and money we spent, that we may have a mine nearby. Maybe we should sell now."

"How can it be that someone - really anyone - can stake a claim against your private property and they don't even have to visit the area? This has such a big impact and yet anyone can do it. That's not right."

"Since the free entry system is based on unbelievably outdated thinking, it seems only fair to me that prospectors and miners should be restricted to using hand shovels, picks and axes when they come on your land."

"I will spread the word and make sure I sign the petition...."

"Uranium mining near such densely populated areas should be illegal. ...where would they dump the slag? Large scale mines often have millions of tons of waste that is left on the sides of the mines.... Open pit blasting would send MUCH more dust into the air. Wind would carry it all over. If you think wind wont take it to you because you are quite far, just remember that often, the Ottawa area does receive Thurso air regularly. It would also be getting in the water system, and easily go to Ottawa via the Ottawa river. We are facing problems as it is with tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, from a plant upstream. Imagine something so close, and so much more radioactive. In Ottawa alone we are 1 million. Is it really worth 500 jobs?"

[Feedback after a meeting on the subject of uranium exploration:] "I was greatly heartened to see that ...local residents seem to be hostile to any exploration taking place on their property."

"We've only owned our cottage for a few years and spend weekends there now. We are planning on retiring to our cottage which was another reason we bought it. With the possibility of a uranium mine in the area, we may have to reconsider our plans."

"I have already faxed my [opposition] letter to the mayor and will go to the post office to send my [denial of consent to access my property] letter to the [exploration] company today."

"I... heard one of those CBC radio iterviews with some of the people affected where they described the callous behaviour of the mining companies who actually began prospecting on land owned by people they had never bothered to contact or inform. The land owners only discovered it when they were walking through their land and saw that the land had been all dug up. They also interviewed a person who did not come to an agreemet with the mining company, and they started mining (or drilling, I forget which) on this person's land anyway. It was up to the land owner to fight it in court and it appeared the ministry sided with the Company."

[From a local realtor:] "In my opinion of course should it be known that a claim exists on a property being sold and the potential to mine is there it would pose a negative and restrict the number of interested prospects."

"Our great concern is both the small personal threat to our own ...acres but most of all it is the big picture which is horrifying. There do seem to be claims staked just north of us, and perhaps even on our land.... People only seem to be waking up to what this means."

"...only after the last fish has been caught, the last tree has been harvested and the last drop of water has been drank - only then will man realize that he can not eat money." [Old Indian saying.]


West Quebecers - tell me your story about exploration, mining claims and the like. Whether you're from Mont-Laurier or Fort-Coulonge, La Peche or Maniwaki, I want to hear them.

E-mail me so I can continue to compile a journal of your personal experiences to publish in my blog. I will not attribute the sources for privacy reasons. michael_patenaude@yahoo.ca