Earthoots takes Ontario government to court to stop proposed logging road through Bob Lake Conservation Reserve

Lawsuit filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice

Earthroots has filed a lawsuit against the Ontario Government to stop the construction of a logging road through Bob Lake Conservation Reserve in Temagami. Represented by Sierra Legal Defence Fund, Earthroots is asking the Ontario Court to declare the proposed road illegal.

Under the provincial Public Lands Act, commercial forestry and industrial activities are forbidden in conservation reserves. Earthroots is pursuing the lawsuit after attempts to resolve the issue with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) failed.

The proposed road would be constructed where a narrow recreational trail currently exists. The existing trail is an overgrown logging road that was used decades ago and had largely reverted to natural habitat prior to the establishment of the Conservation Reserve. Logging road construction is not allowed in Conservation Reserves.

Construction of the logging road could begin as early as next week to prepare the area for clearcuts, which have already been approved. The court case is expected to be heard in early December and could set a precedent for other protected areas in the rest of the province, which are currently at risk from industrial activity.

Temagami is a wilderness area, which is a 4½ hour drive north of Toronto. Bob Lake Conservation Reserve is an integral part of the protected areas system in Temagami. It forms an important ecological linkage between the world-renowned Obabika River Provincial Park, the Temagami Skyline Reserve, Lake Temagami and Wakimika Lake. It protects important canoe and hiking routes in the center of Temagami. Old-growth black and white spruce, jack, red and white pine are protected within its boundaries.

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