Indigenous Treaty Rights-Holder Files Federal Court Injunction Motion Over Treaty Concerns in Tiny Township and Wasaga Beach
- John Hawke
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 13, 2026
Indigenous Treaty Rights-Holder Files Federal Court Injunction Motion Over Treaty Concerns in Tiny Township and Wasaga Beach
Christian Island, Ontario — John Courtney Hawke, a Beausoleil First Nation rights-holder from Christian Island, has filed an urgent Motion Record in the Federal Court of Canada seeking an interlocutory injunction to halt development activities connected to two major projects in Simcoe County: the Tiny Township Administrative Centre project and the transfer and redevelopment of lands formerly within Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.
The Federal Court file number is T-1760-26.
The motion alleges that ongoing and proposed land disturbance may result in irreversible harm to endangered species habitat and fish habitat protected under federal law, and that the Crown has failed to fulfill constitutional and statutory obligations, including consultation duties under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
The motion names the Attorney General of Canada and the Attorney General of Ontario as Respondents.
Mr. Hawke states that the matter engages federal jurisdiction through the Species at Risk Act, the Fisheries Act, and the Migratory Birds Convention Act, and argues that federal decision-makers have a legal responsibility to prevent harm to endangered species and habitat.
The motion materials include evidence referencing the presence of Forked Three-Awned Grass (Ice Age Grass) near the Tiny Township project site, and the importance of Wasaga Beach shoreline habitat for the endangered Piping Plover, a federally protected species.
Mr. Hawke also states that the lands at issue fall within the historic treaty territory of the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe, including lands connected to Treaties 5, 16, and 18, and that unresolved historical grievances remain outstanding.
According to Mr. Hawke, the Federal Court has accepted the filing, and both the Attorney General of Canada and Attorney General of Ontario have acknowledged service and advised they will appear.
“This is not just an environmental issue — it is a constitutional issue,” said Hawke. “The law must apply equally. If Indigenous communities are forced to stop projects for species-at-risk protections, municipalities and governments must be held to the same legal standards.”
Mr. Hawke is requesting that the Federal Court issue an urgent interlocutory injunction preserving the status quo until the underlying judicial review is determined.
Media Contact
John Courtney HawkeBeausoleil First Nation Rights-Holder (Self-Represented Litigant)Christian Island, OntarioEmail: communications@anishinaabek.net 705 247 2120
ATTACHED IS THE FILED MOTION RECORD
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