The Inside Agenda blog: Camp Nibi

Aboriginal Protesters Move into Springwater Provincial Park After Ontario Parks Leaves
by Mark Brosens Inside Agenda August 20, 2013
“As far as I’m concerned, it was abandoned,” says Elizabeth Brass Elson, who currently resides in Camp Nibi in Springwater Provincial Park. “When a government facility takes down its flags, what does that mean? It’s kind of like a retreat.”

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has decided that Springwater Provincial Park, located about 10 kilometres northwest of Barrie, will have a non-operational status this year. This means the public can still visit the parks for free, but there won’t be full-time Ontario Parks staff on site and regular maintenance work won’t be completed. In effect, the park becomes Crown land.
Ontario’s government is facing a $9.8-billion deficit and every ministry is looking for ways to cut costs. As a result, earlier this year the MNR decided that ten of its provincial parks wouldn’t operate this year (after public consultations that number was dropped to six. However, Springwater Park remained on the non-operational list.)
A MNR representative stated via email that these parks became non-operational because of, “low visitation rates, financial losses and significant capital investment required.” These six parks are added to a list of 200 already non-operational parks in Ontario. However, Barrie MPP Rod Jackson told the Ontario legislature that these factors didn’t necessarily apply to Springwater Park. 
On March 31st, Springwater Park officially went non-operational and, shortly after, the thirteen animals in park’s wildlife sanctuary were relocated to Rosseau, Ontario (about 35 kilometers south of Parry Sound).  
The MNR isn’t sure when Springwater Park will reopen, but they are “open to partnership opportunities for the 2014 season that would return Springwater to operational status where a viable business proposal will support it.”
Not So Fast
However, that’s not where the Springwater Park story ends. On April 1st, a group of First Nations people founded Camp Nibi inside Springwater Park and they have been living there ever since. Nibi is an Ojibwe word for “uncompromised water.” The name was selected, because Camp Nibi members say that Springwater Park sits on top of the headwaters of the Minesing Wetlands. 
Elizabeth Brass Elson is a member of the Beausoleil First Nation and is one of the original members of Camp Nibi. She lives about 45 minutes away from Springwater Park and was concerned by the park’s non-operational status.
She worries that the Springwater Park could be sold to a housing developer, as it sits just outside of the rapidly-growing city of Barrie.
On the possibility of the park being sold to developers, the MNR responded:
“Springwater will remain a provincial park; this government has no intention to sell the land. Ontario Parks is open to partnership opportunities for the 2014 season that would return Springwater to operational status where a viable business proposal will support it. On April 1, 2013, the designation of Springwater Provincial Park changed to non-operating status, but the park will continue to be protected under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act.”
However, Elson is unconvinced, “There’s that little thought in the back. You know how things happen really quickly and are sold off and given away to, like, counties. And the county can do whatever they want with it.”
She further said, “I think the government shouldn’t rely on community members to come up with money to maintain lands that [the government] is responsible to maintain.”
Elson claims that there is a strong First Nations history in the Springwater Park area, as it was on aboriginal trading routes. She says aboriginal artifacts can be found throughout the park. 
Life in Camp Nibi
Elson says that the inhabitants of Camp Nibi have ranged between two and 20 people, but their numbers have been growing. First Nations people have come from around North America to join the camp – there are people from the Algonquin, Cree, Hopi, Mi’kmaq, Mohawk and Ojibwe nations at the camp.
She says the campers’ relationship with Ontario Parks officials has been cordial, highlighted by a give-and-take relationship.
Members of Camp Nibi are residing in one cabin. When they tried to occupy two additional cabins to keep supplies in, Ontario Parks removed the campers from those two buildings, saying they are condemned. The buildings were boarded-up by Ontario Parks officials and cameras have been installed in the area.
On the condition of the park without regular maintenance, Elson says, “It’s looking quite shabby in certain spots.” She says it will take time for the park to return to its original condition once regular maintenance resumes.
The Future of the Park
Elson hopes that Springwater Park will become a First Nations education and spiritual centre (she stressed that this is her personal opinion and that she isn’t representing any organizations when saying that).
A week later, Ontario Premier (and former Aboriginal Affairs Minister) Kathleen Wynne was in Barrie. When asked about the idea of a First Nations centre at Springwater Park, the Barrie Examiner quoted Wynne saying,
“I don’t think it’s unrealistic. I think it’s a matter of how we would do that, where the funding would come from and it would be sustainable. I don’t think it’s an unrealistic suggestion, as long as those other factors can be put in place.”
MNR has made it clear that they are looking for partnerships to reopen Springwater Park and there is at least some interest among local First Nations people to have a greater role in the park. As a cash-strapped government steps back from the park, will First Nations people take on a greater role? Would that improve the park’s physical condition? And what would non-aboriginal users of Springwater Park think if it became a First Nations centre? We’ll wait and see.