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Kitiganik/Rapid Lake/Lac - Algonquin leaders in Barriere Lake are calling on Premier Bernard Landry to step in and prevent the logging crisis in the region from spiraling out of control. The call comes as angry forest truckers and heavy equipment operators from the mill in Grand Remous threaten to blockade access to the Algonquin reserve at Rapid Lake. Riot police from Montreal have reportedly been moved into the region.

Hector Jerome, a spokesman for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, says the Premier's involvement would go along way to settling issues.

Leadership and goodwill are needed at this time. We need clear signals from government in order to end this crisis. For our part, we have been in contact with representatives of the forest truckers to let them know that we want to work with them. The real fight isn't between forestry workers and the Algonquins, the problem has been caused by the federal and provincial officials who are collaborating in order to try and undermine the Trilateral Agreement process.

Logging on the territory has been suspended since the Federal government walked away from the final stages of the Trilateral Agreement -- a groundbreaking Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the territory. Without an IRMP, the Algonquin traditional way of life, which is dependent on hunting and gathering, faces threat from industrial forestry operations.

The Algonquins are worried that the presence of riot police poses a dangerous escalation in tension in the region. As a result, Jerome says, checkpoints will be set up on the road leading into the Rapid Lake reserve.

The decision to set up checkpoints on the road was not taken lightly. We are very worried about being seen to do anything that would escalate this situation. But we have some very serious safety concerns and had to take action. We have many elders and young people living in our isolated reserve. We cannot expose them to the threat of angry forestry workers driving through with large trucks and skidders.

The Algonquins have been trying to work with the forestry companies to ensure that industrial logging practices will not impact the traditional gathering activities that take place on the land. In fact, Jim Lopez, a Tembec Vice-President is scheduled to visit the Rapid Lake Reserve tomorrow. In the meantime, the Algonquins will be maintaining the road checkpoint until the situation is stabilized.

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake, Rapid Lake Reserve is on Highway 117, 280 kms north of Ottawa and 150 kms south of Val d'Or.