'It's a heavy day,' says Morgan Harris's cousin after possible human remains found at landfill
Melissa Robinson, a cousin of Morgan Harris, recalled Thursday the fight to get police and politicians to move forward with a search for the remains of her cousin and another First Nations woman. 'To hell with all you guys, 'cause it got done,' she said, adding that families will keep pushing forward.
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CBC
27 minutes ago
- CBC
First Nations opposition continues after passing of Ontario's Bill 5
Many First Nations people in Ontario are continuing protests following the passing of Bill 5 in Ontario last week. Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, allows the province to create special economic zones, where companies or projects can be exempted from having to comply with a provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw. Shem Mattinas, from Moose Cree First Nation on James Bay, was one of the organizers of a protest in Timmins, Ont., last Friday. "This will affect all of us; it threatens our land, our water, and our democratic rights," he said. "This isn't only a First Nations issue; it's an Ontario issue." The premier has said one of those special economic zones will be the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region on Treaty 9 territory in northwestern Ontario. "Attawapiskat River is right in the middle of the Ring of Fire. The First Nations along that river will be deeply affected by poisons and chemicals if this kind of development goes forward unchecked," Mattinas said. Mattinas said it was important for him to organize a protest because he's always heard "when youth speak, that's when people listen." The province has said the law is aimed at speeding up major infrastructure and resource projects. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he intends to designate the Ring of Fire as a special economic zone "as quickly as possible." He added he and several ministers will consult all summer with First Nations about the new law before making the designation. People also continue to rally at the provincial legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto. Myka Burning from Six Nations of the Grand River said she will be one of the people maintaining a presence there. She said those gathered are calling on Indigenous nations across the country to support them, not just Ontario, because of the law's widespread environmental implications but also because she believes it sets a precedent. "I feel like there has been consistent voicing of opposition as it's been coming down like the pipes and that's just not being respected," she said. Concern for caribou Bill 5 also scraps Ontario's Endangered Species Act and replaces it with a new law called the Species Conservation Act, which critics say waters down protections. Jennifer Franks, the director of Indigenous Relations at the Toronto Zoo, said there was "resounding disappointment" around the passing of Bill 5 with the zoo's Indigenous advisory circle. Franks, who is Red River Métis from Birch Hills, Sask., said the zoo's mission is to "connect people, animals, traditional knowledge and conservation science to fight extinction," like the zoo's caribou biobanking project in the Hudson Bay region, where they help collect samples from hunted caribou for genetic preservation. Caribou are traditionally hunted by the Cree and Anishinaabe who live in the Ring of Fire area. In Ontario, caribou is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Habitat loss and human activities are among the threats to the province's caribou. Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf Dejong, who spoke out against the bill at a committee hearing at Queens Park in May, said he wasn't surprised the bill passed despite opposition and said he's concerned special economic zones could be designated anywhere, effectively undoing decades of work in conservation. "They've been very clear that they intended to move quickly," he said.
Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Major projects will be slowed by court challenges if rights are violated: B.C. chief
OTTAWA - The regional chief for British Columbia said Wednesday that governments should not speed up major projects at the expense of First Nations rights — and warned that projects will be slowed down by court challenges if First Nations are not consulted from the start. 'We're asking the government to follow your own laws,' Terry Teegee said, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that the federal government adopted. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced major economic legislation last week. The bill has two parts — one to break down federal barriers to internal trade and the other to fast-track major projects. It sets out five criteria to determine whether a project is in the 'national interest.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Those criteria include the project's likelihood of success, whether it would strengthen the country's resiliency and advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples, and whether it would contribute to economic growth in an environmentally responsible way. But First Nations leaders say their interests weren't considered when the legislation was being drafted and they were given just one week to review and bring comments forward on a briefing document on the bill. 'It's probably going to take a lot longer to get approval for some of these projects because we're going to end up in court,' Teegee said. 'This is where we end up.' The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations agreed. 'It's not about the bill itself. It's about the process. And I think that ramming something through when you should be hearing from Canadians, from industry, from First Nations … is the wrong way to go,' Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said. 'You don't want to end back up in court. You don't want to have civil unrest. Why not just invite us to the table?' First Nations leaders have warned that widespread protests and blockades are possible if governments don't obtain affected Indigenous communities' free, prior and informed consent, as required by the UN declaration. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The federal government has said that declaration doesn't amount to a veto — a statement Justice Minister Sean Fraser walked back last week following criticism from Woodhouse Nepinak. Teegee said 'no government has a veto, meaning that when we come to a decision, all governments come into the room to make a decision together.' 'First Nations, certainly as a part of this, need to be part of the decision-making process,' he added. Even groups that generally support development are raising concerns about the federal government's plan. Mark Podlasly, CEO of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, said he was 'surprised' First Nations were only given seven days to review parts of the legislation before it was introduced. 'The answer will not automatically be 'no' from First Nations when a project comes along. It's just that Indigenous rights and involvement has to not only be included, but respected. That hasn't happened a lot in the Canadian past,' he said. 'There's also a question on the environment, and there's a question about who bears the impact of these projects if they're rushed through. It's going to be Indigenous Peoples, especially in parts of the country where there's mining or energy sources (on lands) that are integral to our lifestyle, our cultural practices.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
B.C. chief says he's ‘very concerned' about bill to fast-track major projects
Regional Chief Terry Teegee speaks as he is joined by AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, back left, and Chair of the B.C. First Nations Justice Council Kory Wilson (Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The regional chief for British Columbia said Wednesday that governments should not speed up major projects at the expense of First Nations rights, warning that the projects will be slowed down by court challenges if First Nations are not consulted from the start. 'We're asking the government to follow your own laws,' Terry Teegee said Wednesday, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that the federal government adopted. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced major economic legislation last week. The bill has two parts — one to break down federal barriers to internal trade and the other to fast-track major projects. It sets out five criteria to determine whether a project is in the 'national interest.' Those criteria include the project's likelihood of success, whether it would strengthen the country's resiliency and advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples, and whether it would contribute to economic growth in an environmentally responsible way. But First Nations leaders say their interests weren't considered when the legislation was being drafted and that they were given just one week to review a briefing document on the bill. 'It's probably going to take a lot longer to get approval for some of these projects because we're going to end up in court,' Teegee said. 'This is where we end up.' The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations agrees. 'It's not about the bill itself. It's about the process. And I think that ramming something through when you should be hearing from Canadians, from industry, from First Nations … is the wrong way to go,' Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said. 'You don't want to end back up in court. You don't want to have civil unrest. Why not just invite us to the table?' This report by Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press, was first published June 11, 2025.
