WINNEWAY AKI, QC, July 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- For more than a century, families in Winneway have lived in a community whose legal status has never been officially recognized. Over the generations, homes, community buildings and public infrastructure have been built without the community's rights over these lands ever being regularized. Believing that this situation is the result of decisions made by Canada, Quebec and the Oblate religious congregation, Long Point First Nation, in Témiscamingue, has filed a lawsuit before the Superior Court of Quebec in order to obtain justice.

At the origin of this situation were two forced relocations. In the 1920s, the community was first forced to leave its traditional territory because of flooding caused by hydroelectric development. A few years later, it was relocated a second time to its current location. To facilitate this resettlement, the Government of Quebec, with the participation of the Government of Canada, chose to grant the lands to the Oblates rather than to the community itself.

"Our Elders passed down to us the memory of a time when our people were forced to leave their lands following the flooding caused by the dams. The rising waters exposed more than a hundred caskets, some of which were carried away by the current. Members of our community were forced to exhume and handle the remains of their own ancestors, against their beliefs, leaving a deep trauma. That wound has never healed. It continues to be passed down from generation to generation and remains part of our collective memory," explained Elder Jimmy Hunter.

Over the decades, everything proceeded as though the community of Winneway was a reserve within the meaning of the Indian Act, even though it never obtained legal status. Today, this situation places the community in a position that is as exceptional as it is concerning.

The legal uncertainty, in which Winneway families, have lived for decades took on a very real dimension in 2023, when the Oblates abandoned the lands on which part of the community is located. Those lands were subsequently incorporated into the Quebec public domain without the status of the homes, community buildings and infrastructure located on them being clarified, creating profound uncertainty for members of the community.

According to Long Point First Nation, this situation is the direct result of decisions made by Canada, Quebec and the Oblates, as well as their failure to correct it despite decades of commitments and assurances that a solution would eventually be found.

"For nearly 100 years, our community has shown patience. We remain willing to negotiate, but negotiations cannot become a pretext for indefinitely postponing decisions. The time has come to resolve this injustice," said Chief Steeve Mathias.

According to the legal proceedings initiated by the community, it is alleged that Canada and Quebec breached their fiduciary obligations as well as the principle of the honour of the Crown by acting in this manner. Consequently, Long Point First Nation is asking the Court, among other things, to:

• recognize the respective responsibilities of Canada, Quebec and the Oblates with respect to Winneway's current legal situation;
• declare that Canada and Quebec breached their fiduciary obligations and failed to uphold the honour of the Crown;
• order Canada, Quebec and the Oblates to take the necessary measures to regularize Winneway's legal status;
• order Canada and Quebec to work in good faith with Long Point First Nation in order to implement a lasting solution; and
• award compensation for the damages suffered.

"This action is not intended to reopen the past. It seeks to put an end to an exceptional situation that has persisted for far too long. Our community deserves the same legal certainty enjoyed by most other communities in Quebec and across Canada," concluded Chief Steeve Mathias. "This is an essential condition for continuing our development and fully exercising our governance."

About Long Point First Nation

Long Point First Nation is an Anicinabe community located in the heart of the unceded traditional territory known as Anicinabe akì, with the majority of its members residing in Winneway, on the south shore of the Winneway River, in the region of Témiscamingue.

SOURCE Long Point First Nation