A Canadian River Has Been Legally Declared A Person & It's A First For This Country

It has rights now!
Magpie River In Quebec Is Now Legally Declared A Person
Cephas | Wikimedia
Senior Writer

In a Canadian first, the Magpie River in Quebec has now been legally declared a person.

Also known as Muteshekau-shipu in the Innu language, the river has been granted legal personhood through resolutions by the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit and the Minganie Regional County Municipality. 

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Since the river is legally a person, it now has rights and potential legal guardians who would be responsible for ensuring those rights are respected.

This is the first time this has happened in Canada.

It's part of a global movement active in New Zealand, the U.S. and Ecuador that aims to recognize the rights of nature.

According to Alliance Muteshekau-shipu, the protection of the river has been agreed on regionally but not by Hydro-Québec because of its hydroelectric potential.

The Magpie River is almost 300 kilometres long and has rapids that are perfect for whitewater rafting.

Canada is home to so many beautiful rivers, natural landscapes and unique places where nature reigns supreme.

CanadaNews
  • Lisa Belmonte

    Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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