Platinex Updates on Legal Proceedings Between Platinex - KI - Ontario

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[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nAURORA, ON, Dec. 20 /CNW/ - Representatives of Platinex,\nKitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, "KI", and Ontario engaged in a court endorsed\npre-trial in Thunder Bay, Ontario, before Mr. Justice Stephen O'Neill of the\nSuperior Court of Justice. After a full day of discussions, KI announced for\nthe very first time (after 1 1/2 years of litigation, preceded by seven years\nof communications between Platinex and KI) that it was asserting a claim to\nsovereignty over its traditional lands and that it wished to engage in\ndiscussions with Ontario in respect of such claim. The stated position of KI\nwas that it would not dialogue with Platinex until such time as the issues\nbetween KI and Ontario were resolved. As a result, the facilitation did not\nresult in any progress in the resolution of the Platinex-KI litigation.\nPlatinex is thankful for the dedication and commitment demonstrated by Mr.\nJustice O'Neill in his handling of the facilitation. Platinex remains willing\nto participate in good faith discussions and negotiations with KI and Ontario.\n\n\nOn Friday, December 7, 2007, Platinex's legal counsel proceeded with the\ncontempt of court hearing against KI. The hearing was necessitated by KI's\nrefusal to honour the October 25, 2007, Order of Mr. Justice Smith confirming\nPlatinex's legal right to proceed with its drill program (first ordered in Mr.\nJustice Smith's ruling of May 22, 2007) and the archaeological pre-screening\nof the drill hole sites. The motion also sought redress for KI's threat to\ndisrupt on a large scale Platinex's intended drill program.\n\n\nKI did not defend the contempt motion. However, KI's legal counsel\nadvised the Court that, in KI's view, the current state of Canadian law did\nnot adequately provide redress for KI's grievances as against Ontario and\nCanada and, as such, KI was not able to comply with the orders of the Court.\nThe Court was advised for the first time (after repeated appearances before\nthe Court since May, 2006) that KI wished to negotiate with Ontario the issue\nof sovereignty over KI's traditional lands and that, in KI's view, the First\nNations who were signatories to James Bay Treaty No. 9, never intended to\nrelinquish their sovereignty to their traditional lands and that the express\nterms of James Bay Treaty No. 9 did not set out the entire agreement and\nund...

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