Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Northern Ontario, Bill 191, the Far North Act.

http://www.nan.on.ca/ NAN SLAMS PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT FOR LACK OF CONSULTATION Posted in Headline Archive by Amy Harris on 9/30/2010 4:37:03 PM

THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy is slamming the Premier of Ontario for announcing the appointment of the Province’s Ring of Fire Coordinator. During a stop-over in Thunder Bay today to speak to a Northern Ontario delegation, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that Dr. Christine Kaszycki would assume the position to oversee issues pertaining to an area known as the Ring of Fire – located in NAN territory.

“The Premier of Ontario continuously talks about this so-called ‘new relationship’ with First Nations and yet again he unilaterally makes a decision without consultation with NAN First Nations,” said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “We are disturbed that the Premier can express his willingness to create a true partnership and yet leaves us out of this critical process. We need to ensure that our objectives and our plans for anything in our territory are adequately represented. We should have been a part of the selection of the person to fill this critical position.”

In April 2010, NAN Chiefs-in-Assembly unanimously passed a resolution stating that free and informed consent of NAN First Nations is required before any significant steps are taken in relation to development projects that may affect NAN territory. NAN Chiefs declared that the right of consent is supported by NAN Aboriginal rights, and the spirit and intent of Treaty No. 9 and Treaty No. 5.

“These are our lands therefore there will not be any movement in terms of development in NAN territory without the consent of the affected First Nations,” said Beardy. “We are not against resource development however we want to be full participants in all aspects of the process.”

Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty 5 – an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario.

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 For more information please contact Amy Harris, A/Director of Communications – Nishnawbe Aski Nation (807) 625 4906 or (807) 252-2806 mobile or by emailaharris@nan.on.ca.

http://www.nationtalk.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=36330

-- Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) : PDAC supports NAN’s campaign against Ontario Bill 191Posted by admin on 2010/9/15 7:00:00 (185 reads)

Toronto, Ontario, September 15, 2010 - The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is supporting Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s (NAN) opposition to Bill 191, the Far North Act. 

Bill 191 would give legal effect to the Ontario government’s plans for the northern boreal region. Without adequate consultation or consideration of the implications for First Nations communities, the mineral industry or northern municipalities, the provincial government proposes to permanently remove more than 50% of the Far North boreal region of Ontario from the possibility of sustainable economic development through the creation of an interconnected network of protected areas.

The negative implications of Bill 191 will be felt by First Nations communities that make up 90% of the population of the Far North and will deprive First Nations of the benefits that responsible mineral resource development can provide. 

NAN has expressed the need for First Nations to have meaningful participation in land use decisions in the Far North, which Bill 191 does not provide, and has asked the McGuinty government to scrap the legislation altogether. 

The PDAC agrees that Bill 191 should be stopped and hopes that the Ontario government will recognize the serious flaws with the legislation. 

“Mineral exploration and development serves an important role in creating opportunity for northern Ontario’s First Nations and municipalities,” said Scott Jobin-Bevans, PDAC President, “The PDAC is encouraging its members to sign the Nishnawbe Aski Nation petition.” 

The NAN petition is available at http://www.nan.on.ca. 

Background

Responsible economic development can be achieved together with the protection of the cultural, social and environmental values that the Far North embodies, through appropriate sustainable development approaches. PDAC opposes Bill 191 as the legislation fails to achieve the desired sustainable approach ...The PDAC is a national organization with 7,000 members representing the range of companies and individuals in mineral exploration and development. Our individual members include prospectors, geoscientists, consultants, mining executives, students and people working in the drilling, financial, legal and other supporting fields. The association’s corporate members include exploration and junior mining companies (small and medium-sized enterprises or ‘SMEs’), major producing companies, and organizations providing services to the industry. 

Contact:

Jason Wilson
Program Director, Aboriginal Affairs
Jwilson[at]pdac.ca 
416-362-1969 Ext. 229

Philip Bousquet
Senior Program Director, PDAC
pbousquet[at]pdac.ca 
416-362-1969 Ext. 230http://www.willmsshier.com/newsletters.asp?id=51