‘Biggest fight of our lives': Manitoba First Nations in court with Ottawa over housing concerns
Multiple First Nations have brought forward a class action suit against Ottawa over on-reserve housing. Taylor Brock explains.
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CBC
6 hours ago
- CBC
Major projects will be slowed by court challenges if rights are violated: First Nations chief
The regional chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations 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." 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. WATCH | Teegee pulls out of trade mission over similar B.C. legislation: Why this First Nation chief pulled out of a B.C. trade mission 9 days ago Duration 12:10 Over the weekend, B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee announced he would not be attending a 10-day trade mission to East Asia with Premier David Eby. Teegee says his withdrawal was due to recent legislation from the province, meant to speed up infrastructure projects, which the chief says is not in compliance with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. 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?" WATCH | Carney's bill faces blowback: 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. 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. Supporters also raise concerns 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." Podlasly said that while the federal legislation "seems to have Indigenous participation at its core," it's not clear what that participation will look like, especially under the tight two-year approval timeline the government seeks. He said First Nations can support projects and many do — but they don't want to be "caught at the back end" of decisions made without their knowledge or consent. "We're all operating with seven days' notice. That's what we're operating with. And time will tell," he said. The Assembly of First Nations is holding an emergency chiefs meeting on Monday to discuss what to do next. Woodhouse Nepinak vowed to follow their direction and said a legal review of the legislation is ongoing.
Vancouver Sun
6 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Liberals reject Bloc proposal to split Bill C-5 to speed 'consensual' lifting of internal trade barriers
OTTAWA — Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon rejected the Bloc Québécois' proposal to split Bill C-5 in two parts, so that the sections on lifting internal trade barriers and the fast-tracking of major projects can be studied separately. Bloc House Leader Christine Normandin said earlier this week it made little sense that the bill, in its current form, would be sent to the House of Commons committee on transport as it falls under the mandate of Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland. Normandin instead suggested dividing the bill to study the portions on free trade and labour mobility in one committee and the fast-tracking of major projects in the national interest in another. She said the free trade portion is 'rather consensual' and could go 'a bit faster,' whereas the major projects portion would warrant more scrutiny. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. On Wednesday, MacKinnon offered a resounding 'no' to the Bloc's proposition. 'This is a bill that responds to economic conditions caused by the tariff war, among other things, and mobilizes premiers, mobilizes Canadians from coast to coast to coast behind projects of national significance,' he said. 'These projects have a certain urgency, as do interprovincial trade barriers that must fall,' he added. 'This is a very comprehensive bill. We understand that it's going to be debated, but it's something that we solicited and secured a mandate for.' Prime Minister Mark Carney said his intention is to see the bill passed before June 20 , when the House of Commons rises and MPs return to their ridings for the summer. 'It is a top priority for this government, and we will do everything to get it passed before the summer,' he said after C-5 was tabled on Friday. 'And if Parliament needs to sit longer, it should sit longer in order to get it passed. That's what Canadians expect.' MacKinnon said to date there is no consensus from other parties to sit into the summer. The part of the bill on lifting internal trade barriers would allow a good or service that meets provincial or territorial rules to have met federal requirements but also make it easier for workers to get a federal licence by recognizing provincial or territorial work authorizations. The second part, which is a bit more contentious, seeks to get projects deemed in the national interest — such as highways, pipelines, mines and nuclear facilities — built faster by having only one environmental assessment done and respecting federal conditions. On Wednesday, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) once more expressed concern the Liberals were 'ramming' through this bill without giving First Nations time to properly study the text. 'I keep hearing that they want to push through this legislation right to the end of this month, and I think that that's the wrong way to go,' said AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak during a press conference on Parliament Hill. Woodhouse Nepinak is expected to meet with Carney in July, presumably after the bill may have passed. She urged the government to slow down the process to allow meaningful consultation and study to occur with all the parties involved, including First Nations. 'Look, take the summer, take the time to listen to First Nations, take the time to listen to Canadians. And I think that'll make a more united country,' she said. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, on the other hand, is favourable to the fast-tracking of major projects like pipelines and dismissed the need for a consensus to move ahead. 'If you wait till everybody agrees on everything, nothing will happen. You're never going to get everybody to agree on every single project,' he told reporters on Monday. 'If the prime minister says he's going to wait until everyone agrees, then nothing will get done, which is what has been happening for the last decade,' he added. Woodhouse Nepinak said national chiefs before her were ignored in discussions on major projects, which caused civil unrest and lawsuits that slowed down the projects. 'Isn't it better to talk through things rather than always being in litigation?' she asked. 'It seems like First Nations always need to litigate, and then we get… results later.' 'Does Canada want to change that or not?' National Post calevesque@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
CBC
8 hours 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.
