BIIGTIGONG NISHNAABEG — Months after the signing of a community benefits agreement between Generation Mine and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, all partners and stakeholders of the project came together in a celebration including the Federal Minister of Indigenous Affairs Patty Hadju, MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North Lise Vaugeois, Ontario Minister of Mines George Pirie, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Parks, and Conversation David Piccini.
The approval of the Community Benefits agreement for the Marathon Palladium Project is the first step for ensuring that both the province and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation will mutually benefit from the proposed palladium mine with the community, including 100 positions of employment and revenue for BNFN companies.
"When you look at the whole issue of nation building, and how Anishnawbek go about the whole process of nation building, you have to look at resources and where you get those resources from," Chief Duncan Michano said. “Right now, most of our resources were dependent on the federal government. Some of the resources we get, some of them are pretty substantial, but a lot of them are inadequate. There’s just not enough”
Michano said the community is always on the lookout for alternative sources of revenue, including three Hydro Electric projects which provide the community with a substantial amount of revenue. However, “it’s not enough, we need more” said Michano, who continued to speak about the cost of public services the community needs.
“We don’t have the ability to tax people, so we go out and make agreements with corporate entities,” said Michano. “At some point in the future, this community will be totally independent, and not have to depend on anyone, for funding. And that’s what you call nation building.”
Michano sees the partnership with Generation Mines as a pathway forward to sustainability for his community.
“The CBA will provide us with some of that money. It’s not the end all, but it will provide us with a substantial amount that will help us to move towards those objectives and those goals that we want to do in the long run,” said Michano.
A part of this agreement was the approval of the environmental assessment by both the federal and provincial governments in which BNFN was heavily involved.
“We worked long and hard to make sure that the environment was looked at and after and mitigated as much as possible. You know there is always going to be impacts when you open a project like that, but we tried to ensure those impacts were lessened,” said Michano.
Jamie Levy, president of Generation Mine, acknowledges the collaborative partnership between Generation Mines and the community.
"We have seen firsthand how BNFN community has consistently followed their mission statement which says in part BN will promote the development of a healthy, safe and self-sufficient community.”
The open pit palladium and copper mine is expected to have a 13-year lifespan. During that time, it's expected to produce 1,905,000 ounces of palladium and 467 million pounds of copper for Ontario’s critical mineral projects including manufacturing electric motor vehicles.
