Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation (IIFN #39), also known as Shoal Lake #39 (), is an

Ojibwa The Ojibwe (; syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, extending into the subarctic and thro ...

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...

First Nation, that is part of the Bimose Tribal Council, and subsequently part of Grand Council Treaty 3. It is located along the northwestern shores of Shoal Lake, Ontario, south of

Ontario Highway 673 This is a list of secondary highways in Kenora District, most of which provide access to isolated and sparsely populated areas in the Kenora District of northwestern Ontario. Highway 525 Secondary Highway 525, commonly referred to as Highway 5 ...

. Four reserves are attached to this First Nation: * Agency 30, shared with 12 other First Nations * Shoal Lake 34B2, shared with

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation Shoal Lake 40 First Nation () is an Ojibwe, Ojibway or Ontario First Nations in Canada, First Nation Indian reserve, reserve located in the Eastman Region, Manitoba, Eastman Region of Manitoba and the Kenora District, Ontario, Kenora District of ...

* Shoal Lake 39, partly located in

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

adjacent to the north of Shoal Lake * Shoal Lake 39A, IIFN 39's most populous reserve, northwest of

Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods (; ) is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over long and wide, containing more than 14,552 islands and of shoreline. It is fed by t ...

Governance

, the band's total registered population is 698, of which 340 live on its own reserves. Their current Chief Gerald Lewis was first elected in March 2016, and has served 4 two-year terms, with his most recent election being in March 2022. Shoal Lake 39 is a member of the

Bimose Tribal Council Bimose Tribal Council is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations council, one of three such councils on the Grand Council of Treaty 3. Its members include: * Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation * Eagle Lake First Nation * Iskatewizaagegan 39 Indepen ...

Water treatment

In April 2008, Chief Eli Mandamin complained that the

sewage treatment Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water p ...

plant built for the Shoal Lake 39 community in 2000 had no running water to help maintain cleanliness, and that other problems with the plant could lead to a complete shut-down, resulting in raw sewage entering the lake from which

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

has been drawing its drinking water since 1919. In June 2009, Chief Mandamin and some community members demonstrated on

Trans-Canada Highway 17 King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba boundary, west of Kenora, and the ma ...

near their home reserve, to show their grievances with a highway-twinning project planned by the

Ontario government The Government of Ontario () is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. The term ''Government of Ontario'' refers specifically to the executive—political ministers of the Crown (the Cabinet/Executive ...

. They also expressed frustration with the fact that the City of Winnipeg has never made an agreement with Shoal Lake 39 regarding the water that is drawn from Shoal Lake to service Winnipeg citizens, although the adjacent

did have an agreement settled in 1989. In 2011, Shoal Lake 39 voiced its concern over the plans for the City of Winnipeg to sell its water to outlying communities. As that water originates in Shoal Lake, near the reserves of Shoal Lake 39, the First Nation sought monetary compensation, or other equivalent forms of redress, for the hardships they have endured over the years. The water taken out of Shoal Lake for the

Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct The Greater Winnipeg Water District Aqueduct (GWWDA) is an Aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct that supplies the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, with water from Shoal Lake (Kenora District, Ontario), Shoal Lake, Kenora District, Ontario. Winnipeg has r ...

has required artificial maintenance of lake levels, leading to loss of fishing and wild rice resources, among other difficulties arising from the loss of

sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...

over the land and water. The leaders of the band threatened to cut off the Winnipeg water supply by blocking the aquatic entrance to Shoal Lake. The neighboring Shoal Lake 40 First Nation stated that they were not willing to take such drastic measures in achieving their objectives, before negotiating with various levels of government. Shoal Lake 39 then took the matter of Winnipeg's water usage to the

Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench The Court of King's Bench of Manitoba ()—or the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, depending on the monarch—is the superior court of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The court is divided into two divisions. The Family Division deals wi ...

. In a legal petition filed on 14 March 2012, the First Nation asked the court to set aside a December 2011 decision by the City of Winnipeg to enter into service-sharing agreements, including one nearing completion with West St. Paul. Shoal Lake 39 also wants the court to order the city to refrain from any more negotiations until it reaches an agreement with the First Nation on how the water may be used. This First Nation long maintained that Winnipeg did not obtain its consent as far back as 1919, although Shoal Lake 40, had no such dispute with the city.Reserve fighting city in court
''Winnipeg Free Press'', 15 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.

References

External links

Map of Shoal Lake 39A (part in Manitoba) at Statcan

Map of Shoal Lake 39A (part in Ontario) at Statcan

Map of Shoal Lake 34B2 at Statcan
{{MBDivision1 First Nations governments in Ontario Saulteaux