Margaret Comfort of Bourbonnais, Illinois completed her two-week walking journey on Labor Day that logged 175 miles, beginning at Kennecott’s proposed nickel mine site on Eagle Rock near Big Bay to St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge. The trek was highlighted by rallies and visits to several UP communities along the way that brought awareness to the issue of metallic sulfide and uranium exploration and mining.
Comfort, along with a vehicle support team and several volunteer walkers was generously supported by concerned citizens, businesses and tourists along the way. Donations of food, firewood and funds overwhelmed the walkers. “The love and concern from people opening their hearts and helping out was amazing,” says Comfort. “Folks honking and waving energized us to keep moving towards our goal—the Mackinac Bridge Walk. If I had more time, I would walk all the way to the Capital in Lansing, camp out on the front lawn, and ask our legislators some tough questions. What is the ultimate goal of this destructive new mining process? Why is the state even considering allowing this to happen? Who is to benefit from this risky resource extraction?”
Banners reading “Protecting our Water, Step by Step, from Eagle Rock to the Mackinac Bridge” were prominent on support vehicles and T-shirts worn by the walkers. Says Comfort, “We were always within walking distance of a wetland, stream, inland lake or a Great Lake. That is why we were out there…to help protect our most precious gift of water and the Great Lakes.”
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Save the Wild UP, Keepers of the Water and Northwood’s Wilderness Recovery sponsored the Walk and provided information and materials to communities along the way. For more information and photo’s of the Walk click here.
Our Heartful Gratitude to the following contributors to The Walk from Eagle Rock to the Mackinac Bridge:
The Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
Save the Wild U.P.
SASM – Students Against Sulfide Mining
Northwoods Wilderness Recovery
Keepers of the Waters
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Ojibwe Cultural Museum, St. Ignace, MI
Bay View Inn, Epoufette, MI (Sharon Stevenson)
Beaudoin’s Café, Naubinway, MI (Robert and Gene Beaudoin)
Big Cedar Campground, Germfask, MI (Tonya, Barry, Kenny Peters)
Hog Island Country Store and Cottages, Naubinway, MI (Sandy & Tom Jacobs)
King’s Fish Market, Naubinway, MI (Russ & Sally Schultz)
Lakenenland (Tom Lakenen and family)
Michigan Welcome Center (Harvey)
Naturopathic Associates, MQT (Dr. Katy Nelson)
John Anderson
Teresa Bertossi
Scott Bouma
Barb Bradley
Solomon Brown
Tom, John, and Jan Bushey
Gabriel Caplett
Gene and Carla Champagne
Doug Cornett
Lon and Lynn Emerick
Nick and Sharon Cartier
Lon and Lynn Emerick
Marcia and Sven Gonstead
Gail Griffith
Rachelle Giulianni
Gale Hausfeld
Michelle Halley
Teri Irving
Sue Jacobson
Wendy, Milo, and Kiah Johnson
Bill and Thomas Kinjorski
Bethany Lyons
Kora Mills
Kristi Mills
Myra McDonald (Detroit)
Chauncey (“River Walker”), Nancy, and Jeremiah Moran
Sue Radloff
Lynn and Ben Rebertus
Lynn Roovers
Cynthia and Bob Pyror
Tom and Johnny Reed
John Saari
Teresa and John Scram
Mary Vaisanen
Beth Webb
Emily Whittaker
Jeff from MQT
Glad you could be there we are not our children, grandchildren, cousins, friends, and so on are never seen again because there are no jobs and most of us normal folks have to work or we don’t eat.