Latest news with #PrinceAlbertGrandCouncil
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Métis Nation–Saskatchewan urges wildfire response to protect traditional lands
The Muskeg Fire on the outskirts of Beauval, Sask. on July 10, 2025. (Courtesy: Rick Laliberte) Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) is raising concerns about the level of resources being dedicated to protecting traditional lands from wildfires. 'It's our constitutional right to harvest off these lands, as we have for generations. We need to protect that. Those rights have value,' MN–S Minister Brennan Merasty told CTV News.'We shouldn't have to compete with the value of a structure, versus our traditional territories.' Brennan Merasty MN-S MN–S Minister Brennan Merasty discussed the wildfire response in an interview from Edmonton. Merasty said the Muskeg Fire, burning near Beauval, Sask., isn't getting the same attention as the Buhl Fire, burning partly inside the Prince Albert National Park. CTV News has contacted the provincial government for comment. MN–S has said the wildfires are not only threatening communities but also destroying traplines and areas where traditional medicines grow. The organization has declared a state of emergency and is urging the province to 'recognize the gravity of the situation.' Beauval fire (Source: Facebook / Davidson Volunteer Fire Department) The Prince Albert Grand Council issued a similar statement on Tuesday, with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty saying dozens of their families lost traplines near Denare Beach and Pelican Narrows in the Wolf Fire. 'These fires wiped out traplines and cabins that families rely on for food, income and survival,' said Chief Beatty. 'With no insurance and no access to PDAP [provincial disaster assistance program], they're left with nothing but ashes. Our members were hit hard, and it's unacceptable they're excluded from support.' For his part, Merasty says he doesn't want to point fingers. He hopes to work collaboratively with the government to re-evaluate the wildfire response. 'We need to get our people out there firefighting,' he said, suggesting more training be made available. Crews from New Brunswick, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario — as well as Australia and Mexico — are currently assisting Saskatchewan. There are 52 active wildfires in the province. So far this year, 378 have been recorded — well above the five-year average of 289.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sask. First Nations leaders among those at summit with prime minister about Bill C-5
Saskatchewan First Nation leaders were among those in Gatineau, Que., this week for a summit with Prime Minister Mark Carney designed to allay concerns about Bill C-5, which is aimed at fast-tracking national infrastructure projects. The bill already passed before the summit. Grand Chief Brain Hardlotte from the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) was in attendance. He described it as an interesting day, but said he left even more confused about what the bill means for PAGC communities. "Without discussions, I wouldn't really call this a consultation," Hardlotte said. "Consultation happens before anything, any development, or in this case legislation." Harlotte compared the bill to the Natural Resource Transfer Agreements (NRTA) signed between Canada and the Prairie provinces in 1930, without First Nations consultation. He called the NRTA, "a direct threat to Indigenous sovereignty, our treaty rights and longstanding responsibilities under international law." He used Uranium City, in Saskatchewan's far north, as an example of what can happen when governments and corporations act without Indigenous oversight. Hardlotte said mining companies extracted everything, then left a mess of abandoned mine sites and polluted lakes. "Our people are hunters, fishers, and trappers and these are treaty rights," Hardlotte said. "Because of the NRTA our rights have been eroded, and violated, and all the injustices that have been done to our people are because of this legislation." Chief Marcel Head from Shoal Lake Cree Nation was also present for Thursday's summit in Ottawa. He said his community needs to benefit from the natural resources and minerals that are extracted from it. "We never gave up our land, we never gave up our resources when we signed the treaty," he said. "It is time that Shoal Lake stand up, along with Red Earth Cree Nation, to take back what is rightfully ours, and start benefiting from the resources that have been historically extracted out of our traditional territory." Head noted that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 5, and said the spirit and intent of the treaty was not only to share the land, but also the resources. "Do we see that today among both levels of government? No," Head said. Contention and distrust John Desjarlais is the executive director of Indigenous Resource Network, an organization that advocates for workers, business owners and communities who support Indigenous inclusion in the natural resources sector. He said Bill C-5 prioritizes Indigenous participation in major projects. "[The bill] is a strong signal. It's certainly a statement of platitude. I think it's on the government to take action and build further trust with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities," Desjarlais said. He said First Nations across Canada have had a variety of experiences with government through the years, many of them bad. "There is a lot of contention, there's a lot of distrust," he said. At the same time, he said there are good examples of how the country can move together in good faith. "We've seen a lot of recent project developments," he said. "I think we can learn more in terms of achieving consent, achieving equitable involvement where Indigenous people are much more meaningfully involved, and in some cases co-governing and co- managing infrastructure projects." He said First Nations deserve to benefit from development and that Bill C-5 could help with that. "It's economic reconciliation," said Desjarlais. "Indigenous communities are tired of burying the environmental risk … and should be involved in the management of that risk and of course the reward."
CBC
18-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. First Nations leaders among those at summit with prime minister about Bill C-5
Saskatchewan First Nation leaders were among those in Gatineau, Que., this week for a summit with Prime Minister Mark Carney designed to allay concerns about Bill C-5, which is aimed at fast-tracking national infrastructure projects. The bill already passed before the summit. Grand Chief Brain Hardlotte from the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) was in attendance. He described it as an interesting day, but said he left even more confused about what the bill means for PAGC communities. "Without discussions, I wouldn't really call this a consultation," Hardlotte said. "Consultation happens before anything, any development, or in this case legislation." Harlotte compared the bill to the Natural Resource Transfer Agreements (NRTA) signed between Canada and the Prairie provinces in 1930, without First Nations consultation. He called the NRTA, "a direct threat to Indigenous sovereignty, our treaty rights and longstanding responsibilities under international law." He used Uranium City, in Saskatchewan's far north, as an example of what can happen when governments and corporations act without Indigenous oversight. Hardlotte said mining companies extracted everything, then left a mess of abandoned mine sites and polluted lakes. "Our people are hunters, fishers, and trappers and these are treaty rights," Hardlotte said. "Because of the NRTA our rights have been eroded, and violated, and all the injustices that have been done to our people are because of this legislation." Chief Marcel Head from Shoal Lake Cree Nation was also present for Thursday's summit in Ottawa. He said his community needs to benefit from the natural resources and minerals that are extracted from it. "We never gave up our land, we never gave up our resources when we signed the treaty," he said. "It is time that Shoal Lake stand up, along with Red Earth Cree Nation, to take back what is rightfully ours, and start benefiting from the resources that have been historically extracted out of our traditional territory." Head noted that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 5, and said the spirit and intent of the treaty was not only to share the land, but also the resources. "Do we see that today among both levels of government? No," Head said. Contention and distrust John Desjarlais is the executive director of Indigenous Resource Network, an organization that advocates for workers, business owners and communities who support Indigenous inclusion in the natural resources sector. He said Bill C-5 prioritizes Indigenous participation in major projects. "[The bill] is a strong signal. It's certainly a statement of platitude. I think it's on the government to take action and build further trust with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities," Desjarlais said. He said First Nations across Canada have had a variety of experiences with government through the years, many of them bad. "There is a lot of contention, there's a lot of distrust," he said. At the same time, he said there are good examples of how the country can move together in good faith. "We've seen a lot of recent project developments," he said. "I think we can learn more in terms of achieving consent, achieving equitable involvement where Indigenous people are much more meaningfully involved, and in some cases co-governing and co- managing infrastructure projects." He said First Nations deserve to benefit from development and that Bill C-5 could help with that. "It's economic reconciliation," said Desjarlais. "Indigenous communities are tired of burying the environmental risk … and should be involved in the management of that risk and of course the reward."
Ottawa Citizen
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Saskatchewan looks to expedite wage payments in hopes of recruiting more firefighters
As crews continue to battle wildfires in northern Saskatchewan amid a provincial state of emergency, the government is making efforts to speed up compensation for those who offer to pitch in. Article content Specifically, the province is looking to address this issue for Type 3 firefighters in hopes that it will increase registration from eligible candidates. Article content Article content The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) website states: 'Type 3 crews are made up of qualified firefighters hired on an emergency basis. These crews are used to support Type 1 and Type 2 crews working on sustained action wildfires and are normally used on a fire line that is under control or in the mop-up stage, or low in complexity and expected fire behaviour.' Article content Article content Type 1 firefighters 'typically perform initial and sustained attacks on wildland fires,' according to the SPSA. Type 2 firefighters are First Nations and northern community crews who 'provide firefighting and response services, as needed, and work on projects within their home communities in times of low fire danger.' Article content Article content The effort to reduce payment delays for Type 3 firefighters was requested by Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte of the Prince Albert Grand Council. Article content 'It's not like before. When you got out of the fire, you got a paycheque right there,' Hardlotte said in a May 29 interview, noting he'd spoken with Premier Scott Moe about the issue. Article content The government responded to a Leader-Post inquiry about the grand chief's comments, noting via email that '(SPSA) President and Fire Commissioner Marlo Pritchard is actively engaging in conversations with Grand Chief Hardlotte as well as others on how best to address this concern.' Article content Article content 'The SPSA is also working internally to expedite the payment process with the hope that it will increase eligible Type III Firefighters to register for active firefighter duty,' the email adds. Article content Article content In addition, the government sent a copy of a May 29 letter by Deputy Premier Jim Reiter to the federal ministers of finance, Crown-Indigenous relations, and Indigenous services. Article content 'Through discussions with the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC), we have been told there are a number of residents who reside on their member First Nations who are willing to assist with firefighting,' the letter states. Article content It also requests — on behalf of the PAGC — that the federal government ensure any of these people who are currently receiving federal income assistance not have their benefits reduced because of firefighting wages.
CBC
04-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
As thousands run from Sask. wildfires, these people are rushing to fight them
Cliff Buettner was only two days into his retirement when he was called back to help fight Saskatchewan's raging wildfires. "This is far beyond anything that I've experienced in my 40 years," said the former director of forestry and emergency protective services for the Prince Albert Grand Council. "I've been in some pretty dire situations and this is some of the worst I've seen." Residents of La Ronge, Air Ronge, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and everywhere within a 20-kilometre radius had to evacuate by Tuesday afternoon as fire rapidly made its way toward those northern Saskatchewan communities. The Rona at the community's entrance is completely destroyed, Mayor Joe Hardyski told CBC News on Tuesday. So, too, are a dozen houses in the nearby communities of Sucker River and a handful in Eagle Point, he said. La Ronge residents flee homes as wildfires continue to burn communities 11 hours ago Duration 2:05 Residents evacuating from the La Ronge area spent Monday night driving through hazardous conditions. In other parts of the province, fires are now entering communities and damaging structures. Saskatchewan has faced significant losses due to the unpredictability of this wildfire season, Buettner said, adding that the speed and intensity of the fires have not given communities much time to react. A Facebook post from the Northern Village of Denare Beach Tuesday morning, for instance, confirmed that fire had destroyed everything south of Ninth Avenue to the reserve. "Timber transports embers that are being carried out by the convection and moved ahead of the fire, and that's what's perpetuating the fire with this wind," Buettner said. Conditions on the ground, he added, have become "a dangerous game" for emergency personnel. Buettner said on Monday he lost contact with individuals on the ground who were within the fire boundary. They had to shut off their phone to conserve the battery until they made it to a safe place to communicate they were OK. Farther south, the Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management in Prince Albert is offering Type 3 emergency personnel firefighter training — and locals are rushing to join the fight against the fires. Type 3 firefighters are brought in as a relief for higher-level firefighters, while they attend to the more intense areas of a fire and contain it. They are responsible for suppression or clean-up once a fire is contained or laid back down to the ground. They are often brought in once a fire loses its intensity. Brenda Roberts with the Prince Albert Grand Council, who has been helping to coordinate the training, said she's had over 100 applicants so far — one as young as 17. "We've also had calls from people who have heavy equipment experience, Class 1A drivers, heavy duty mechanics — just to say that they're available," she said. The training takes place over a four-day period and focuses on fire behaviour, fire operations, heavy equipment, aircraft, and everything a firefighter would need to know about the fire. It also goes over practical components such as the tactics used for firefighting, direct suppression and hose line hookup. Roberts said while the current fire conditions in the province limit the responsibilities of Type 3 firefighters, they are trying to be proactive. "What we're trying to do within the communities is to organize and identify those as units within the communities so the SPSA has that information if and when they would be allowed to participate in the active fire duty provincially," she said. Over 9,000 people have been forced to evacuate from Saskatchewan's north due to wildfires. Premier Scott Moe said that number could reach 15,000 in the days ahead. Saskatchewan communities now under evacuation order or pre-evacuation alert: Air Ronge. Brabant Lake. Candle Lake resort village (voluntary). Clam Crossing. Creighton. Denare Beach. East Trout Lake. Eagle Point. English Bay. Foran Mine - McIlveena Bay. Hall Lake. Jan Lake. La Ronge. Lac La Ronge Indian Reservation. Lamp Lake. Little Bear Lake. Lower Fishing Lake. Molanosa. Napatak. Narrow Hills Provincial Park. Nemeiben Subdivision. Pelican Narrows. Piprell Lake. Potato Lake. Rabbit Creek. Ramsey Bay. Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay. Sikachu. Sturgeon Landing. Sturgeon Weir. Sucker River. Timber Bay. Wadin Bay. Weyakwin. Whiteswan/Whelan Bay. Interactive Sask. active fire map. Fire danger map. Fire bans. Environment and Climate Change Canada weather alerts. Sask. Highway Hotline. Smoke forecast. Air quality. Tracking wildfires across Canada.
