THUNDER BAY — Indigenous consultations relating to the controversial Bill 5 were scheduled for Friday in the Lakehead, but who was consulted and where the sessions took place are unclear.
Newswatch contacted several First Nations chiefs who said they were not aware of the sessions.
Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon and Marten Falls First Nation Chief Bruce Achneepineskum said they were not informed of the consultation sessions. Eabametoong Chief Solomon Atlookan said by text message that he “arrived too late” for the meetings.
Aroland, Marten Falls and Eabametoong are all First Nations in or near the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region that the province wants to declare a “special economic zone” under Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act.
The Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade scheduled Indigenous consultation sessions in August in four cities: London on Aug. 6, Thunder Bay on Aug. 8, Toronto on Aug. 12, and Sudbury on Aug. 14.
Specifically, a July 14 email from the ministry to First Nations officials, obtained by Northern Ontario Business, said the government is seeking input on proposed criteria for “special economic zones” under the act and criteria for exemption from archeology requirements under heritage legislation.
Chief Michele Solomon of Fort William First Nation, on whose traditional territory Thunder Bay lies, said Friday she received no invitation.
It’s not First Nations consultation without chiefs, she added.
Onigaming Chief Jeffrey Copenace, a critic of the legislation, said Friday he wasn’t invited and, indeed, did not know about the Thunder Bay sessions until Friday.
Copenace, whose Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation is southeast of Kenora, told Newswatch his community has more pressing concerns at the moment.
“If we had the opportunity to speak with Premier Doug Ford, we would probably reiterate that we’re in a state of emergency,” he said.
“We would probably talk about the reality that we just had another young death a few weeks ago.
“There was a young man in his 30s, and that’s the 46th death that we’ve had in four years, which is roughly five per cent of our population, of our community. Just in four years.
“So it’s taking its toll.
“I know that he would be interested in talking about special economic zones, but we would be asking for support to save the lives of our families, of our young people, and focus on the state of emergency and crisis that is before us right now.”
The Protect Ontario bill passed in provincial parliament on June 4 and received royal assent the next day amid protests on the grounds of Ontario’s legislative building.
One part of the statute allows cabinet to designate certain areas as “special economic zones” in which provincial laws and regulations can be circumvented. The government identified the Ring of Fire, a region rich in critical minerals, as one potential special economic zone.
First Nations protested that the legislation was an affront to their treaty rights.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler told a legislative committee the bill was “a direct attack on our Nations, our people, our treaties, and our future generations.”