Concern, optimism in N.W.T. at prospect of quicker development with new federal law
A controversial federal bill to fast-track "nation-building" projects has been passed into law and while some northern leaders welcome the opportunity to build, others are more skeptical.
The Senate passed Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, on Thursday afternoon, allowing the federal government to streamline approval processes for some projects and bypass provisions criticized for hindering timely approvals.
But some have expressed worry that the new legislation will override consultation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and ignore their right to free prior and informed consent as defined by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
N.W.T. Sen. Dawn Anderson said the act has sparked concern over Canada's commitment to reconciliation.
"The process for consultation does not appear to be substantive in any way, which calls into question the commitment to the [UNDRIP] legislation and Canada's commitment to Indigenous peoples in Canada," she said, speaking with CBC News before the bill passed.
"It erodes trust and relationships between Canada and Inuit and First Nations and Métis people."
Prime Minister Mark Carney has listed the Grays Bay Road and Port Project as one project he'd like to see approved quickly.
The project would see the construction of a 230-kilometre all-weather road that stretches from ice roads in Yellowknife all the way to the Arctic ocean, linking Nunavut to the N.W.T.'s road system.
Earl Evans, chair of Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board, said there's not enough information about how the road would affect caribou migration, and worries about speeding the approvals process before they know more.
"We're going to have to be very vigilant in how this is done and make sure our input is taken seriously — because caribou is life for the people up here," Evans said.
He recognized the potential economic benefits of the project, and the need for jobs in the region and across the country, but said the stakes of interfering with caribou are high. The Mackenzie Valley Review Board has been travelling to communities to collect feedback on the project.
Evans said he does feel his concerns are being taken seriously.
"But at the same time, when the federal government wants a project done, it gets done," he said.
Meanwhile, at an Arctic development conference in Inuvik, N.W.T., earlier this month, Caroline Wawzonek, the territory's minister responsible for strategic infrastructure, energy and supply chains, spoke to the importance of advocating for federal investment.
She didn't mention Bill C-5 but spoke to the importance of all levels of government working together "at speeds and with levels of partnership we haven't seen before."
She said that development must include traditional knowledge, and that it's not a "nice-to-have," but an essential.
"The homes, the health centres, the schools, the roads that link us, and the energy that powers us — as well as our collaborative and co-management systems of governance — this is what makes our communities sustainable, sovereign, and secure," Wawzonek said.
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