MOOSE CREE FIRST NATION — The Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation says the territorial organization’s leadership wasn’t invited to a recent consultation session by provincial officials.
Alvin Fiddler told the 2025 Keewaywin Conference on Tuesday afternoon that the NAN executive “did not receive even the courtesy of a notice,” about a session organized by the Ford government on Aug. 8 in Thunder Bay. Northern Ontario Business obtained a July 14 memo sent by JP Cadeau, the deputy minister of economic development, job creation and trade, to Indigenous communities that outlined what feedback the government was looking for in an ongoing series of closed-door consultations.
However, exactly who has been invited isn't clear.
“What is happening right now is that Ontario is picking us off one by one,” Fiddler told the room of delegates while emphasizing the need for the organization and its First Nations to be organized in how they deal with the provincial and federal governments.
A number of First Nations chiefs in Northwestern Ontario told Newswatch they were told little to nothing about the Thunder Bay consultation session. On Wednesday, Vic Fedeli, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, told reporters in Toronto that invitations were sent to all communities, according to a report from Northern Ontario Business.
Fiddler said the Thunder Bay session was held at the Valhalla Hotel and Conference Centre.
Day one of the Keewaywin Conference was largely dedicated to discussions around new pieces of legislation from Queen’s Park and Ottawa (called Bill 5 and Bill C-5 respectively prior to their royal assent into law earlier this year) which give senior levels of government new powers to fast track economic development and resource extraction projects.
Critics, including many First Nations, have maintained they allow for government and industry to bypass treaty and constitutional rights.
“I know with a three-day meeting how jam-packed it can get with our agenda, with so many important priorities and issues, but it's important that we take time to have this very important discussion that we are having right now,” Fiddler said to the assembled leaders and representatives from First Nations across NAN territory.
“Because moving forward, there will be more — more discussions, more meetings, more expectations on the part of Ontario to talk to us. But if we are not organized, if we don't have a plan, then they will win.”
NAN represents 49 First Nations across Treaty 9 and Treaty 5 in Ontario.
Fiddler said he acknowledges there is “a mixed reaction out there,” particularly around the federal legislation, but the mandate NAN’s executive has been given is that “we reject Bill 5 in its entirety” and that “we will not engage until we see Ontario and Canada fulfill their own obligations and their own responsibilities.”
And while Fiddler said provincial ministers and Premier Doug Ford have spoken about respecting obligations to consult and talking about free, prior and informed consent, he cautioned that “those words are not written in the bill.”
“There's some reference to them in the preamble, but the preamble does not make up the official part of the bill.”
Later in the afternoon, NAN Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse told the assembly they’re planning a meeting on Sept. 17 — which coincides with the Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association's 2025 conference in Thunder Bay — so community leadership can further discuss economic development issues.
“We need to be a part of this economic growth that is happening,” he said. “But not at the expense of our treaties, at the expense of our land.”
“It has to be coming from direction from the rights holders, the treaty holders as well.”
The story was updated at 4:37 p.m. to include comment from Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Vic Fedeli.