First it was Voisey Bay. Now, the Innu lands just north of Sept-lles are being turned into another Klondike.

Prospectors and mining companies are flooding into the Lac Manitou region 60 km north of Sept-lles, following a massive discovery of nickel and copper.

Miners are calling it the biggest discovery “since Voisey Bay,” which was worth $4.3 billion to Inco. The Quebec government, which made the find, says mineral concentrations in the Lac Manitou area are superior to those found near Sudbury, Ont. Sudbury is considered one of the top mining spots in the world.

But as at Voisey Bay, the local Innu people have been left on the sidelines to watch the development of their territory, which has yet to be the subject of a treaty agreement.