Indigenous Rights & Government Accountability
Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP, together with co-counsel at Headwaters LLP and Phillips Barristers, is representing Pikangikum First Nation in a landmark $2 billion Federal Court action against the Government of Canada, after the community was forced to declare a state of emergency.
Federal Negligence and a Decades-Long Water Crisis in Northern Ontario
For decades, Pikangikum First Nation, a remote community of over 4,000 people in northern Ontario, has been denied reliable access to clean drinking water, functional sewage infrastructure, and adequate fire safety systems. Despite repeated warnings, independent assessments, and promises from successive federal governments, nothing has changed.
The claim, filed in Federal Court, seeks $200 million in emergency relief alongside $2 billion in long-term damages. It documents systemic federal negligence: deteriorating wastewater systems contaminating local water sources, emergency conservation protocols forced on residents, and the looming threat of closure for essential community facilities, including the local school.
“Canada has repeatedly made promises but failed to act. Our people are at risk every day, and we can no longer wait.” – Chief Paddy Peters
Seeking Emergency Relief and Long-Term Infrastructure Investment for Pikangikum
This legal action calls on the federal government to fund and deliver immediate and lasting investment in water, sewage, and fire infrastructure for Pikangikum and to be held accountable for the harm caused by its prolonged inaction.
Experienced Indigenous Rights Litigation Counsel
HSH acts as lead counsel alongside co-counsel Headwaters LLP and Phillips Barristers. This case reflects our firm’s commitment to pursuing complex, high-stakes litigation on behalf of Indigenous communities whose rights have been ignored.
