Land parcels revealed in Algonquin Land Claim

Jeff Green | Dec 20, 2012

Photo: Map of the Algonquin Landclaim showing proposed provincial park surrounding Crotch Lake in North Frontenac Township.

With the release of the Agreement in Principle (AIP) for the Algonquin Land Claim, some details have emerged and some previously released information has been confirmed.

In term of gross numbers, the AIP carries the promise of a land transfer of not less 117,500 acres of land and a payout of $300 million.

Any outstanding loans owed by the Algonquins of Ontario to the federal government will be deducted from the settlement figure. The money will not go to individual bands or communities, but will be held in trust by a central Algonquin body, based in Pembroke.

The land settlement includes 200 separate parcels, ranging from a few acres to 30,000 acres, and a number of parcels of Crown land in Frontenac, Lanark and L&A Counties are included.

There is also a proposed provincial park included in the land claim, which encompasses the vast majority of the land surrounding Crotch Lake in North Frontenac. It appears that the park would be accessed from Road 509, at a location between Robertsville Road and Mississippi Station.

Of those land parcels, a number are located on lakes with road access. Among the largest parcels in Frontenac Addington is one north-west of Denbigh between Trout, Spring and Barnard Lakes.

Another large piece is located just north of the borders of Bon Echo Park in the vicinity of Machesney and Fermoy Lakes. Just north and east of that location, straddling to the east side of Hwy. 41, is another substantial parcel in the vicinity of Irvine Lake.

In Addington Highlands, there are also two pieces on Upper Mazinaw Lake, one on Brown’s Lake, and one on Little Mallory Lake.

In North Frontenac, there is a parcel surrounding Proudfoot Bay on Fortune Lake, one between Buckshot and Brule Lakes, one at the east end of Mississagagon Lake, one straddling Shawenegog and Sand Lake, a smaller and a larger piece on Norcan Lake, and three small pieces on Crotch Lake, among others,

In Central Frontenac, there is a large piece in between Bell Line and Burke Settlement Roads, encompassing Beaver Lake, smaller pieces on Silver and White Lake, pieces on Leggat and Eagle Lakes, and two on 5th Depot Lake.

In South Frontenac all of the proposed Settlement Lands, as the parcels are being called, are located in the Bedford District. There is a piece of land in the former hamlet of Bradshaw, and a larger piece straddling Crow Lake and Mud Bay on Bobs Lake, as well as three other smaller pieces on Bobs Lake, a piece on Lee Bay of Wolfe Lake, and one on Parkers Bay of Devil Lake.

In western and northern Lanark County, there are parcels on upper Park Lake, Joes Lake, several on White Lake.

Among the landlocked sections is one rectangular lot on Highway 7 that has already been earmarked as a home base for the Shabot Obaadjiwan, one of the nine off-reserve communities that are represented on the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) negotiating team.

The Agreement in Principle includes a section that grants the AOO the right of first refusal on the White Lake Fish Hatchery, which is located on Highway 7 near the Shabot Obaadjiwan parcel.

On page 44 of the draft agreement, under section 5.3B, this offer is discussed. It says that the facility and surrounding land will be offered to the AOO under a number of conditions, the first being that “the facility and lands are no longer required for program purposes.”

The agreement does not say that the province is planning to vacate the facility; it only says that if it decides to do so, the AOO will have the first crack at purchasing it.

All lands that are transferred will be treated as privately held lands, and will be subject to municipal taxation, local zoning bylaws and the Ontario Building Code.

There are few, if any details available about the proposed provincial park at Crotch Lake, except an acknowledgement that this is something the provincial government is considering and that the AOO will be involved in the development of the park.

The agreement also says that beneficiaries will include all those who can demonstrate direct lineal descent from an Algonquin ancestor, and has a present day cultural or social connection with an Algonquin collective.

The agreement, which is over 100 pages long, includes details about how people who may be affected by the transfer will be protected, as well as details about a ratification vote, which is expected to take place in 2013.

If ratified, the AIP will form the basis for a formal agreement, which could take a further five years or more to negotiate.

Information about the AIP is available at Aboriginalaffairs.gov.on.ca, by clicking on the Land Claims tab on the left hand side of the page, and clicking on Algonquins of Ontario at the bottom of the subsequent page.