Thousands march with Grassy Narrows

Thousands of people marched through the city core to Queen’s Park on Wednesday to demand justice for the ongoing mercury poisoning crisis plaguing Grassy Narrows First Nation.

- MORGAN SEVAREID-BOCKNEK

Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Wednesday to demand that governments compensate Grassy Narrows First Nations for the ongoing mercury pollution in the Wabigoon River system.

The seventh Grassy Narrows River Run rally was organized by the First Nation and supported by more than 100 non-profits, unions and human rights groups.

The demands of the rally were for provincial and federal governments to compensate Grassy Narrows for the ongoing mercury pollution in the Wabigoon River system, end industry development on Grassy Narrows’ territories and support the restoration of their traditional way of life.

“We’re not going away,” said Grassy Narrows First Nation Chief Rudy Turtle at Grange Park, just before the noon march began.