Chippewas Tri-Council [Coldwater-Narrows reservation claim]

The Coldwater-Narrows reservation consisted of a strip of land, 14 miles long, averaging one and one-half miles wide, running from the narrows at Lakes Couchiching and Simcoe, westward to Matchedash Bay, comprising approximately 10,000 acres. The Chippewa Tri-Council, composed of three First Nations (Beausoleil First Nation, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, and Chippewas of Mnjikaning [Rama] First Nation), claimed that the surrender in 1836 was not consistent with the instructions set out in the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

Originally submitted to Canada in November 1991, the claim was not officially accepted for negotiation until July 2002 – and only then following an inquiry conducted by the Commission into Canada’s 1996 rejection of the claim. The ICC provided facilitation for the planning conferences from the outset. In July 2002, as a result of its involvement in that process, each of the three First Nations provided a band council resolution requesting the Commission’s mediation/facilitation services for the negotiation of the claim.

Negotiations are ongoing with the parties focussing on determining an appropriate settlement.

To view the summary of ICC's concluded inquiry into this claim