Pays Platt First Nation Gets Trillium Support
by Scott A. Sumner
The Pays Platt First Nation located on Lake Superior near Rossport has always been a natural steward of the lands near their community. Their job just got easier with the purchase of boat and motor to help them visit the Wilson Islands. “ Today is the celebration of a tremendous partnership between the Nature Conservatory of Canada -NCC one of the great stewards of land in Ontario and Canada and Pays Plat First Nation. They purchased the 8 pristine islands totaling some 47,000 acres just off the coast of Rossport,” said Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources for Ontario. “ The Pays Platt people are protecting the Wilson Island archipelago. As Minister it is wonderful to be here and to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation that provided funds for the NCC and Pays Platt to buy a boat so the resident biologist can do his work on the islands. We really can’t do enough to protect the islands and beautiful Lake Superior that we have here. Today we are at the beautiful Spirit Garden In Thunder Bay, a great place to celebrate this event.” “ We have always done this work as natural stewards of the islands around here. The NCC helps us and we help them. It is a good partnership. The area is rich with wildlife and an amazing place to spend some time,” said Xavier Thompson, Chief of Pays Platt. “ We are doing really well at Pays Platt with a firewood operation that employs people; our band office and we do fishing almost everyday. This partnership gives us an opportunity to document what is out there and then protect it. “
