Latest news with #C-61
Edmonton Journal
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
First Nations call for Ontario environment minister to resign for trying to stop clean water bill
Article content The province gave cabinet the power to suspend provincial and municipal laws through the creation of so-called 'special economic zones' that First Nations say ignore their treaty rights. The province intends to name the mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario as the first such zone. Article content Debassige and several dozen First Nation chiefs met with Premier Doug Ford a few weeks ago to discuss Bill 5. Ford had said the day before that First Nations should stop coming to him 'hat in hand' if they don't get on board with Bill 5. Article content He then apologized to Debassige and those chiefs in a private meeting before repeating it at a news conference on live television. Article content Debassige and the chiefs accepted that apology and agreed to move forward with extensive consultations on the new law. Article content Debassige said Ford told them that day he was in full support of clean drinking water for all Ontario First Nations and was going to figure out a way to help. That issue is a federal one, though Ford hinted on radio recently the province might step up if the federal government does not. Article content Article content 'Everyone deserves fresh drinking water,' Ford said of First Nations on NewsTalk 1010. Article content Debassige still takes the premier's word and believes McCarthy had gone 'rogue.' Article content 'To hear directly from the premier that he is in full support and then have one of his ministers turn around and ask the prime minister of Canada to essentially decommit in introducing C-61 is a complete show of disrespect, a show of incompetence and he's a loose cannon in my view,' said Debassige. Article content Ontario passed the Clean Water Act in 2006, which ensures the protection of municipal drinking water systems. That came in response to the deadly E. coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ont., that killed seven people and made more than 2,000 people sick. Article content But that Ontario bill does not extend to First Nations in the province because of jurisdictional issues. Article content The federal clean water bill is part of a court-ordered settlement over a class-action lawsuit First Nations won against Ottawa over this very issue. Article content Article content Debassige helped draft that legislation, saying it was historic in many ways, including the fact the federal government worked with First Nations to write it. Article content 'The process we went through and we were able to negotiate was a testament to the government's commitment to reconciliation,' she said. Article content 'This is not reconciliation. I know the premier's office is very aware of our position and our response to these idiotic comments.' Article content The Ford government has been taking pains to assuage First Nations' concerns over Bill 5 in the last month, pledging extensive consultations and a say in how related regulations are drafted. Article content Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario has lived under a boil-water advisory for more than 30 years. The community says the water gives them lesions, eczema and a host of other skin issues if they shower or bathe in it. It leads to gastrointestinal issues if they drink from the taps and about half of the community has never lived at a time when the water was safe to drink.
Global News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Federal Minister planning to table First Nations water bill despite opposition from Alberta and Ontario
The federal minister of Indigenous services says her government plans to reintroduce legislation to ensure First Nations' rights to clean drinking water — despite calls from Alberta and Ontario for it to scrap the bill altogether. Two provincial environment ministers sent a letter to their federal counterpart this week calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to abandon legislation they see as undermining competitiveness and delaying project development. 'Prime Minister Mark Carney has made a commitment to do things differently,' Alberta's Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz and her Ontario counterpart Todd McCarthy wrote in a June 30 letter to federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin. 'We are hopeful that this new federal government will move away from policies and legislation that undermine competitiveness, delay project development and disproportionately harm specific provinces and territories without any quantifiable benefits to the natural environment.' One of the bills they singled out is C-61, legislation introduced in the last Parliament that sought to ensure First Nations have access to clean drinking water and can protect fresh water sources on their territories. Story continues below advertisement 1:59 Progress slow on Alberta First Nation's water crisis That bill faced a lengthy committee process but was not passed into law before Parliament was prorogued. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said everyone in Canada should have access to clean water. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'That's why our new government has committed to introduce and pass legislation that affirms First Nations have a human right to clean drinking water. To be clear, we intend to introduce this legislation this fall to advance this important commitment,' said Livi McElrea. 'Provinces, territories, and the federal government have a shared responsibility of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples … We call on all parliamentarians, provinces, and territories to support this critical legislation to ensure that First Nations have access to clean drinking water.' View image in full screen A woman carries water jugs on the Neskantaga First Nation, in Ontario on Sept. 13, 2021. The Neskantaga First Nation hasn't had clean drinking water for over 30 years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward The Liberals under former prime minister Justin Trudeau vowed to end all long-term boil water advisories by 2021 — a self-imposed deadline they failed to meet. Story continues below advertisement Indigenous Services Canada data shows 37 long-term drinking water advisories are still in place across the country — most of them in Ontario. The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations has been vocal in her desire for the bill to be reintroduced, saying after the election parliamentarians will be playing 'political games' with the lives of First Nations children if it doesn't make its way back to the House of Commons. 'Every member of Parliament in Canada that's going to sit in that House has an obligation to think about all the children of this country, and shame on people that played games, pushing it down politically, kicking it to each other and blaming each other, even through the election,' Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in May. 1:19 Shamattawa First Nation calls on Feds to honour clean water commitment Schulz and McCarthy also pointed to the Species at Risk Act, the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, Clean Electricity Regulations and the Impact Assessment Act as pieces of legislation or policy that should be repealed. Story continues below advertisement Legislation to repeal the portion of the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act that created the consumer carbon price was introduced in early June but is awaiting debate and votes in Parliament. The act will remain in place to maintain a carbon price for big industrial polluters. However the consumer carbon price was set to zero by regulation on April 1. Both provinces have been pushing the federal government to allow for developments of major projects, often finding themselves at odds with First Nations in their respective jurisdictions. One northern Ontario First Nation just completed a four-day demonstration that slowed down traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway to protest legislation designed to speed up mining and development, with leaders saying they feel heir rights are being violated and they are not being properly consulted in provincial and federal legislation. Bill C-5, which became law last week, gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects meant to boost the national economy by sidestepping most of the environmental protections and legislation Alberta and Ontario want Canada to repeal.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Minister planning to table First Nations water bill despite provincial opposition
OTTAWA – The federal minister of Indigenous services says her government plans to reintroduce legislation to ensure First Nations' rights to clean drinking water — despite calls from Alberta and Ontario for it to scrap the bill altogether. Environment ministers from Alberta and Ontario sent a letter to their federal counterpart calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to abandon legislation they see as undermining competitiveness and delaying project development. One of the bills they singled out is C-61, legislation introduced in the last Parliament that sought to ensure First Nations have clean drinking water and are able to protect fresh water sources on their territories. That bill faced a lengthy committee process but was not passed into law before Parliament was prorogued. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says everyone in Canada should have access to clean water and the government intends to bring the bill back in the fall. Livi McElrea says provinces and territories share responsibility for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and the federal government is calling on all jurisdictions 'to support this critical legislation.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
