Lubicon Lake Indian Nation Little Buffalo Lake, AB 403-629-3945 FAX: 403-629-3939 Mailing address: 3536 - 106 Street Edmonton, AB T6J 1A4 403-436-5652 FAX: 403-437-0719 December 08, 1990 Enclosed for your information is a copy of a newspaper article regarding the cost of being used as a cats-paw by the Canadian Government. Anyone who'd expect anything different just simply hasn't been paying attention. ***************************************************************************** The Edmonton Journal, Saturday, December 08, 1990 CONTRACTOR WANTS GOV'T TO COMPENSATE FOR ARSON Don Thomas Journal Staff Writer Edmonton A contractor whose logging equipment was damaged by arsonists in an area claimed by the Lubicon Lake Indian band wants compensation from the Alberta government. But all he's getting is the run-around, Walter Kulikov said Thursday in a call by mobile telephone from a bush camp near Red Earth, about 350 km north of Edmonton. "I think it's a bunch of crap because it's their (the government's) fault, they didn't want to settle something with the natives and we got caught," he said. "Now I'm losing money everyday. I've had one of my machines shut down almost two weeks already and I'm not getting nowhere." Damaged in the fire two weeks ago were his four-wheel-drive truck, a log- hauling skidder, an all-terrain vehicle and an equipment shack, none of it insured. With the skidder out of action, Kulikov figures he's losing $1,000 a day. He said he called the offices of Premier Don Getty, Attorney General Ken Rostad and Mike Cardinal, MLA for Athabasca-Lac la Biche, where officials all denied responsibility for his loss. A spokesman for Getty said there was no record of a call from Kulikov. But if he feels he's been wronged, he should go to court, said Peter Tadman. "What you're outlining is something that would fall within the justice system that is set up to resolve such disputes. That would appear to be the appropriate route for anyone to follow," Tadman said. Kulikov said he'd be bankrupt long before a ruling was made. But Dana Andreassen, Rostad's spokesman, said the Alberta government is not an insurance agency and can't be held liable for Kulikov's decision to go uninsured. Until the courts decide who did the damage, the Alberta government can't be held responsible, said Bob Hawkesworth, New Democrat native affairs critic. The Lubicons have been waiting for compensation more than 50 years, he said. But the province should have given the loggers a place to work outside the band's disputed area, he added. ***************************************************************************** For more information contact web:car by e-mail or in writing Aboriginal Rights Support Group Committee Against Racism P.O. Box 3085, Station B Calgary, Alberta T2M 4L6