[PICTOU LANDING, NS] – Pictou Landing Reserve members voted 71-25 in favour of continuing their lawsuit against the province, Northern Pulp and others to close down the Boat Harbour Treatment Facility by using money generated from the band's Boat Harbour Settlement Trust Fund.
The referendum was held Wednesday.
In a community notice about the issue, the chief and council stated that the band wanted to proceed with the lawsuit, but had no room in its operating budget to pay the legal fees and expenses associated with the suit.
The band's lawyers have recommended they ask a judge to order the province to pay the band's legal fees and expenses, but in order to ask the judge for such an order more legal work is needed. That is why the money from the trust fund is needed.
In January the band voted strongly against accepting an offer from the province of $3 million in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.
Effluent has flowed from the pulp and paper mill since it opened in the 1960s causing severe pollution problems in the area.
