Ontario's Premier Accountability Dashboard · Queen's Park Watch
Gary Quisess
Neskantaga First Nation
Gary Quisess is Chief of Neskantaga First Nation, one of the most remote First Nations communities in Ontario. His community is co-leading the physical encampment at the Attawapiskat River to block Ring of Fire road construction, and he has stated that Neskantaga's homelands are being advertised for development without the community's involvement or consent.
Connected Scandals
The Ford government is fast-tracking Ring of Fire mining and road construction through its Bill 5 "One Project, One Process" system, overriding the objections of Grassy Narrows First Nation — a community still living with mercury poisoning — bypassing a federally required environmental assessment, and pushing toward a June 2026 construction start that Neskantaga and Attawapiskat First Nations are physically blockading.
As Chief of Neskantaga First Nation, Quisess is co-leading the physical blockade of Ring of Fire road construction and has publicly stated that his community's homelands are being developed without consent or meaningful consultation.