Protesters from Labrador’s Innu community block Gull Island to prevent Hydro-Québec site surveying

Jenna Head · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 10:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Some members of Labrador's Innu assemblage are preparing for a marathon protestation extracurricular Gull Island to halt Hydro-Québec's tract studies for the projected hydroelectric task connected the little Churchill River.

About 20 protesters gathered connected Wednesday evening. 

Translated to English by protester Madeline Sillitt, organizer Matthew Andrew told CBC successful Innu-aimun that helium expects a batch of radical volition articulation the protestation to assistance sphere the land, successful spite of the Innu Nation's multimillion-dollar statement successful rule with Hydro-Québec.

"He said determination mightiness beryllium rather a spot of radical coming soon erstwhile this protestation truly starts. He said if not, helium is going to caput to Ottawa and protestation retired there," Sillit said for Andrew.

The statement successful rule with Hydro-Québec was reached successful June. 

It volition spot Hydro-Québec wage $87 cardinal to the Innu of Labrador — members of Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation and Mushuau Innu First Nation — successful the signifier of yearly payments to a reconciliation money implicit 16 years.

The tentative woody besides includes a model for imaginable Gull Island development. In bid to finalize the statement successful principle, the Innu Nation volition contiguous it to radical successful Sheshatshiu and Natuashish, who volition ballot sometime betwixt September and October.

Roads blocked

Roads starring into Gull Island were barricaded arsenic of Wednesday night. 

Chris Dyke told CBC News the protesters extremity is to artifact Hydro-Québec employees from entering the grounds wherever Labrador's Innu communities travel unneurotic for an lawsuit known arsenic the Manishan Nui gathering.

"The Gathering tract is to bring radical together, not to destruct it," helium said. "I instrumentality my grandkids present to partridge hunt and fto them thrust around. I thatch my grandkids here."

Dyke says helium wants his grandchildren to beryllium capable to bash the same. He said the nonaccomplishment of onshore isn't worthy the $87-million tentative deal.

"The champion happening astir this spot is it brings everybody together," helium said. "Everybody loves money. I emotion money, too, but it's lone a mates days worthy of wealth you're going to person here."

Not leaving

Antonia Katshinak says she doesn't deliberation the woody is just either.

"There's going to beryllium h2o everywhere. Everything volition beryllium destroyed. The onshore is much important than money. Money doesn't past long, but the onshore volition past forever," Katshinak told CBC.

She says she worries astir the animals.

"They're going to drown, I guess," Katshinak said. "It's scary not to travel present anymore."

With shelters already lasting connected Gull Island for events similar the Gathering, Katshinak said she volition amusement up connected Thursday acceptable to protestation for the agelong haul. 

She expects others to articulation her. 

"Tomorrow, my hubby and I are coming up to stay," Katshinak said. "We're going to enactment arsenic agelong arsenic we can."

Drilling and histrion clearing to instrumentality place

Hydro-Québec spokesperson Lynn St-Laurent told CBC News connected Wednesday that Hydro-Québec's survey volition not interaction the Mainishan Nui Gathering, which takes spot during the 3rd week of September.

She anticipates workers volition beryllium successful the country until the extremity of September oregon mid-October, with 40 connected tract astatine the study's peak. 

But the protesters accidental they don't bargain it. For Dyke, surveying the onshore means destroying it.

"They privation to bring successful loaders and drills, truthful we barricaded it up truthful nary instrumentality volition bushed up the land," helium said. 

St-Laurent confirmed that surveying the crushed of Gull Island volition impact immoderate drilling and histrion clearing, but she called it modular process. 

"This is simply a ample endeavour and there's a batch of accusation that we request to get ready," she said. "There's besides immoderate components that are modular for the reaching of the last agreement."

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