January 26, 2026
The Anishnabeg First Nations of Lac Simon, Long Point, and Kitcisakik reaffirm the moratorium on logging in the Priority Protection Zone to the responsible ministers and remind the federal government of the emergency decree.
Source: Conseil de la Nation Anishnabe de Lac Simon, Conseil de la Nation Anishnabe de Longue Pointe, Conseil des Anicinapek de Kitcisakik.
On January 26, 2026, in two jointly signed letters, the Chiefs of Lac Simon, Kitcisakik and Long Point First Nation reaffirmed, with one voice, their clear and urgent expectations regarding the protection and recovery of the Val-d’Or woodland caribou, of which only seven individuals remain.
The letter was addressed to the new Minister of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF), Jean-François Simard, and the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Parks (MELCCFP), Bernard Drainville.
A letter was also sent to remind the federal government and its Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Julie Dabrusin, of its duty to address the urgent situation facing the Val-d’Or woodland caribou and to adopt an emergency order, which is still pending. The letter is also addressed to the Honorable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for the Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou riding since April 2025.
In March 2025, the Anishnabeg First Nations of Lac Simon, Long Point, and Kitcisakik called on the provincial and federal governments to establish a Priority Protection Zone for the Val-d’Or caribou (“Protection Zone”) and to impose an immediate moratorium on the issuance of logging permits. This clear announcement followed the abandonment of the “Habitat Restoration Zone (HRZ)” pilot project presented by the MELCCFP in 2023 and the Quebec government’s failure to take satisfactory action.
The area covered by the moratorium spans more than 5,000 square kilometers between Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d’Or and extends south to the community of Winneway.
