The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.
Recent revelations the provincial government deleted emails related to gas plant cancellations in southern Ontario have one company worried their $1 million lawsuit against the province could be affected by similar deleted emails.
Solid Gold Resources Corp. filed a lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in January claiming the province “encouraged and promoted” a conflict with a Northern Ontario First Nation, slowing down the gold mine project.
Former company president Darryl Stretch sent an open letter to the province and OPP commissioner Chris Lewis. Stretch writes in his letter during the litigation process, Solid Gold Resources Corp. is entitled to documentary evidence such as emails from former premier Dalton McGuinty, current Premier Kathleen Wynne and ministry staff that discuss the company.
“In view of the startling revelation, which references the recent destruction or theft of Ontario’s records, we seek assurances none of the documents related to Solid Gold Resources Corp. have been destroyed or stolen. May we please have your assurance the documents will remain available upon formal request,” Stretch writes.
The allegations made in the suit have yet to be proven in court.
The lawsuit centres around Solid Gold Resources Corp.’s claim that the province had not completed a consultation with the Wahgoshig First Nation before the company’s Mining Claims were staked and recorded.
“Ontario did not advise Solid Gold that Ontario had not undertaken any substantive efforts to consult any First Nations or aboriginal communities respecting the recording of the mining claims or Ontario did not intend to undertake any such consultation,” the suit claims.
The claim filed with the court outlines a timeline of consultations between Solid Gold and the Wahgoshig First Nation (WFN), which is situated just outside Matheson.
“Despite the Consultation Efforts WFN took the position that Solid Gold’s Claims Exploration Program was contrary to WFN’s treaty and aboriginal rights and that WFN had not been adequately consulted.”
The company has stated the reason the WFN felt they were not adequately consulted was due to the province’s role in the entire process.
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