Latest news with #IdleNoMore
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Chief says infrastructure drive could trigger another Idle No More protest movement
OTTAWA - A First Nations chief is warning that Canada is 'staring down the barrel' of another wave of protests like the Idle No More movement if governments pursue 'national interest' projects without their input and consent. Anishinabek Nation Regional Chief Scott McLeod has joined Indigenous leaders from across the country who say they're alarmed by government efforts to accelerate infrastructure development.
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
First Nations chief says infrastructure drive could trigger another Idle No More protest movement
A First Nations chief is warning that Canada is 'staring down the barrel' of another wave of protests like the Idle No More movement if governments pursue 'national interest' projects without their input and consent. Anishinabek Nation Regional Chief Scott McLeod has joined Indigenous leaders from across the country who say they're alarmed by government efforts to accelerate infrastructure development. The federal government is developing a 'national interest' bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act. A handful of First Nations leaders told The Canadian Press Friday they were sent a letter Monday outlining the federal government's plans. They say Ottawa has asked them to report any concerns they have about those plans by Friday — even as wildfires continue to blaze in the Prairies and as chiefs in Ontario mount opposition to the province's own infrastructure bill. Story continues below advertisement McLeod said Anishinabek Nation was only formally briefed on Ottawa's plans on Friday. 'With Prime Minister Mark Carney, we don't even have a relationship yet,' he said. 'And trying to pass a bill in this way, without even talking to First Nations leadership, is a very rocky start for the Liberal government.' In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is pursuing legislation — Bill 5 — that would enable cabinet to designate 'special economic zones' where companies or projects wouldn't have to comply with selected laws or regulations. Story continues below advertisement The government of British Columbia recently passed the Infrastructure Projects Act — which allows it to fast-track things like critical minerals projects it deems to be in the province's interests — over fierce opposition from First Nations. 3:50 Mixed reaction as B.C. infrastructure bill narrowly passes in legislature The Alberta government announced earlier this year it would move to speed up permit approvals for developments it considers low-risk. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy McLeod said chiefs have been sending provincial and federal officials 'warning shots' about the sorts of disruptions such projects could face if Indigenous communities are not properly consulted. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations issued her own warning to the provinces and Ottawa, saying it 'may not end well' if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at next week's first ministers meeting in Saskatoon without First Nations involvement. Story continues below advertisement The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Given the stakes of the upcoming meeting, Nepinak said First Nations exclusion is 'very disrespectful.' Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt, meanwhile, is calling for governments to 'smarten up.' Woodhouse Nepinak said the Assembly of First Nations is only aware of 'bits and pieces' of the proposed federal legislation. 'We are concerned about what we are seeing from the government so far, and based on what I'm hearing about similar proposals in Ontario, in British Columbia and Alberta,' she said. 'I fear that this may not end well.' McLeod said the last time Indigenous leaders saw something like what the federal government is proposing now was 'in 2012 with Bill C-45, that had a lot of the same language and the same impacts on First Nations, which sparked Idle No More. 'We all know what happened then.' The Idle No More movement was triggered by that omnibus bill, introduced by then-prime minister Stephen Harper's government. Indigenous leaders said the bill, intended to ramp up resource development, would trample on their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments. Story continues below advertisement Leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways and earned widespread support from across the country. 'We're informing the grassroots people and they're going to take it upon themselves on what actions are required to deal with the government's inaction,' McLeod said. One of those grassroots people in Ontario is Anishinabek Nation youth councillor Terra Roy, who said young people will be 'watching very closely' what federal and provincial governments do next. 'We're not afraid to show up and to be loud about it,' Roy said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chief says infrastructure drive could trigger another Idle No More protest movement
OTTAWA — A First Nations chief is warning that Canada is "staring down the barrel" of another wave of protests like the Idle No More movement if governments pursue "national interest" projects without their input and consent. Anishinabek Nation Regional Chief Scott McLeod has joined Indigenous leaders from across the country who say they're alarmed by government efforts to accelerate infrastructure development. The federal government is developing a "national interest" bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act. A handful of First Nations leaders told The Canadian Press Friday they were sent a letter Monday outlining the federal government's plans. They say Ottawa has asked them to report any concerns they have about those plans by Friday — even as wildfires continue to blaze in the Prairies and as chiefs in Ontario mount opposition to the province's own infrastructure bill. McLeod said Anishinabek Nation was only formally briefed on Ottawa's plans on Friday. "With Prime Minister Mark Carney, we don't even have a relationship yet," he said. "And trying to pass a bill in this way, without even talking to First Nations leadership, is a very rocky start for the Liberal government." In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is pursuing legislation — Bill 5 — that would enable cabinet to designate "special economic zones" where companies or projects wouldn't have to comply with selected laws or regulations. The government of British Columbia recently passed the Infrastructure Projects Act — which allows it to fast-track things like critical minerals projects it deems to be in the province's interests — over fierce opposition from First Nations. The Alberta government announced earlier this year it would move to speed up permit approvals for developments it considers low-risk. McLeod said chiefs have been sending provincial and federal officials "warning shots" about the sorts of disruptions such projects could face if Indigenous communities are not properly consulted. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations issued her own warning to the provinces and Ottawa, saying it "may not end well" if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at next week's first ministers meeting in Saskatoon without First Nations involvement. The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Given the stakes of the upcoming meeting, Nepinak said First Nations exclusion is "very disrespectful." Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt, meanwhile, is calling for governments to "smarten up." Woodhouse Nepinak said the Assembly of First Nations is only aware of "bits and pieces" of the proposed federal legislation. "We are concerned about what we are seeing from the government so far, and based on what I'm hearing about similar proposals in Ontario, in British Columbia and Alberta," she said. "I fear that this may not end well." McLeod said the last time Indigenous leaders saw something like what the federal government is proposing now was "in 2012 with Bill C-45, that had a lot of the same language and the same impacts on First Nations, which sparked Idle No More. "We all know what happened then." The Idle No More movement was triggered by that omnibus bill, introduced by then-prime minister Stephen Harper's government. Indigenous leaders said the bill, intended to ramp up resource development, would trample on their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments. Leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways and earned widespread support from across the country. "We're informing the grassroots people and they're going to take it upon themselves on what actions are required to deal with the government's inaction," McLeod said. One of those grassroots people in Ontario is Anishinabek Nation youth councillor Terra Roy, who said young people will be "watching very closely" what federal and provincial governments do next. "We're not afraid to show up and to be loud about it," Roy said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Chief says infrastructure drive could trigger another Idle No More protest movement
OTTAWA - A First Nations chief is warning that Canada is 'staring down the barrel' of another wave of protests like the Idle No More movement if governments pursue 'national interest' projects without their input and consent. Anishinabek Nation Regional Chief Scott McLeod has joined a chorus of leaders from across the country who say they're alarmed by government efforts to fast-track infrastructure development. The federal government is developing a 'national interest' bill to fast-track nation-building projects with a streamlined regulatory approval process as a substitute for reviews under the Impact Assessment Act. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is pursuing legislation — Bill 5 — that would enable cabinet to designate 'special economic zones' where companies or projects wouldn't have to comply with selected laws or regulations. McLeod said chiefs have been sending provincial and federal officials 'warning shots' about the sorts of disruptions such projects could face if Indigenous communities are not properly consulted. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations issued a warning to the provinces and Ottawa, saying it 'may not end well' if they make decisions about major infrastructure projects at next week's first ministers meeting in Saskatoon without First Nations involvement. The Assembly of First Nations has long called for its inclusion at first ministers meetings but has only been able to secure secondary meetings with prime ministers ahead of the official meetings. Given the stakes of the upcoming meeting, Nepinak said First Nations exclusion is 'very disrespectful.' Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt, meanwhile, is calling for governments to 'smarten up.' McLeod said the last time Indigenous leaders saw something like what the federal government is proposing now was 'in 2012 with Bill C-45, that had a lot of the same language and the same impacts on First Nations which sparked Idle No More. 'We all know what happened then.' The Idle No More movement was sparked by that omnibus bill, introduced by then-prime minister Stephen Harper's government. Indigenous leaders warned the bill, intended to ramp up resource development, would trample on their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments. Leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways and earned widespread support from across the country. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. 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. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
National Observer
3 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
National chief says First Nations frustrated by 'fast-track' approach to development
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says she doesn't blame First Nations leaders who are voicing frustration with governments promising to fast-track development in their territories in the name of national unity. "I don't blame them. They're frustrated and they're being disrespected," National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday morning. "If we're not at the table making these decisions right off the bat, this is what happens and it causes the Canadian government more problems later." In the throne speech delivered Tuesday in Ottawa by King Charles, the federal government vowed to eliminate all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day. It also promised to reconfigure approval processes for infrastructure projects to fast-track projects of "national significance." The day before that speech was read, some chiefs — alarmed by Bill 5, legislation introduced in Ontario that the chiefs say would gut protections for threatened species to speed up development — cited the legacy of the Indigenous rights protest movement Idle No More. The Idle No More protest movement took hold under former prime minister Stephen Harper's government as it looked to ramp up resource development. It was sparked by the introduction of the omnibus Bill C-45, also known as the Jobs and Growth Act. Indigenous leaders said the bill would diminish their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without thorough environmental assessments. Indigenous leaders allied with the Idle No More movement staged protests, rallies and blockades on railway lines and highways. The protest movement grew to encompass environmental and Indigenous rights more broadly and earned widespread support from Indigenous communities around the world. In 2013, six young people walked 1,600 kilometres to Ottawa from a Cree community in Whapmagoostui, Que., in support of Idle No More. Their journey attracted hundreds of supporters along the way and was met by thousands more on Parliament Hill. Former Attawapiskat First Nation chief Theresa Spence also staged a hunger strike near Parliament Hill to protest the government's actions, and received backing from Amnesty International. In response to pressure from First Nations leaders, Ontario's Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford and Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce said the province will amend Bill 5 to explicitly include duty-to-consult provisions. Similar legislation proposed in British Columbia has also seen fierce opposition from First Nations leaders in recent weeks. First Nations leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba gathered on Parliament Hill Monday morning to protest being left out of the official itinerary for King Charles's visit to Ottawa — and to remind him that it's his job to inform the prime minister of the government's treaty obligations. 'There's billions, if not trillions of dollars taken out of our territories every year. None of it comes back to our nations,' said Grand Chief of Treaty 8 First Nations Trevor Mercredi at Monday's press conference. 'We all have issues at home, but we're here today to fight for the most important issue of all, and that's our treaties. It's about time the King, the prime minister and premiers fully understand. And if it takes lawsuits for them to fully understand, that's what we'll do once again.' Woodhouse Nepinak said Wednesday that First Nations across the country are united on the need to ensure their treaty and inherent rights are respected, and she expects to speak with Prime Minister Mark Carney in the days ahead. The premiers are set to meet in Saskatchewan next week to recommend projects for the federal government to fast-track. Woodhouse Nepinak said she'll be pushing for First Nations representation at that table. "First Nations are 1.5 million people. We're huge in this country. And I think that the country has to prioritize that," Woodhouse Nepinak said. In a joint media release issued Wednesday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, the Assembly of First Nations and the Southern Chiefs' Organization said that First Nations must have guiding roles in the new Major Federal Project Office promised by Carney. A spokesperson for federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said building Canada's economy "relies on a strong partnership" with Indigenous Peoples. "The Crown has a legal duty to consult — a responsibility that applies equally to provinces and territories," Gregory Frame said in a statement late Wednesday. "Getting this right is critical to accelerating projects of national interest in true partnership, to avoid delays caused by legal challenges and to advance reconciliation."
