Page 13 - Moose Deer Point First Nation

The presence of non-Indigenous cottagers in our traditional WORDS TO KNOW
territory has had negative and positive impacts. We were
non-Indigenous: people who
provided with full hydro service and better road access to our are not First Nations, Inuit,
or Métis
community as a result of the cottagers’ needs. However, other
semi-isolated First Nations communities have had to wait much
We were physically isolated
longer for these services. We believe these services should until 1958 when Highway 69
be provided to all First Nations communities, whether non- was completed, and road
access to Twelve Mile Bay was
Indigenous people live in the area or not.
not gained until 1966. Hydro
came to the community in 1956,
Even though our location is fairly distant from the nearest town
and telephones did not arrive
and there have been challenges, it has helped to encourage
until the 1980s. As we launch
both independence and a strong sense of community. new business developments
in our community, we have
been able to update our
Additions to Reserves
telecommunications and
Moose Deer Point First Nation is among other First Nations power systems.
in Ontario who have entered into agreement with Canada to
purchase lands and to have that purchase turned into our First
Nation territory.

The process that our First Nation must go through to gain these
additions to reserves takes years to complete. In order for any
lands we have purchased to be considered for this process,
there are a number of things we must consider:
WORDS TO KNOW
• There cannot be any major environmental concerns. For
leases: written agreements
example, the land cannot be an important breeding ground
giving the right to pay rent to
for a species that is at risk of extinction. use property for a certain length
of time
• The First Nation must work with municipal and provincial or
municipal: to do with a city,
territorial governments to make sure any concerns such as
town, district, or other area with
leases of the land and public access to the land have been local government
worked through as best as possible. public access: the right for all
people to approach, enter, or
use property

Moose Deer Point First Nation 11

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