Read Catharine Grant, our Boreal Campaigner's blog posts

Catharine Grant, our Sr. Boreal Campaigner, blogs about the hearings on the Far North planning act as she is in attendence.

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Day 1: Government begins hearings amid controversy

The Boreal Futures Coalition was in attendance today at Ontario’s Queen’s Park as the government Standing Committee hearings on the Act with respect to land use planning and protection in the Far North and the Act to Amend the Ontario Mining Act (Bills 191 and 173) began. These hearings represent a very important step in the government’s implementation of its commitment to promote economic development and protection in the Far North.

Members of the standing committee were greeted on the way into Queen’s Park by a rally held by First Nations groups who are opposing Bill 191. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), led by Grand Chief Stan Beady, expressed their concerns that they were not being given the opportunity to participate in a “meaningful partnership” with the province, and were having the will of the Ministry of Natural Resources imposed on them. By holding the public hearings outside Far North communities, and by holding them at the same time as the NAN summer assembly, Beady suggested that the Government of Ontario was undermining First Nations’ interests, and he announced that NAN would be boycotting the hearing process as a result.

Stakeholders’ groups put forward a common call for an independent planning body, with equal participation from the province and First nations groups, to oversee the initiative. Committee members pointed to the fact that Bill 191 directs the Minister of Natural Resources to establish advisory bodies, and to “consider the role of First Nations,” but did not grasp that First Nations and other stakeholders want the government to fulfill its commitment to shared decision making, rather than at the MNR’s discretion.

The view that this Act doesn’t deliver what it promised was repeated throughout today’s hearings as various stakeholders presented to the Standing Committee. Conservation groups, who widely supported the original July 2008 commitment, feel that the Act, as it stands, does not meet the standards necessary to protect biodiversity and ecological processes, does not promote sustainable economic development, and does not provide the leadership role for First Nations that is necessary for success.

The issue of inadequate funding was widely raised by First Nations, industry and conservation groups. There is no new money allocated with the Act to facilitate land use planning. Parliamentary Assistant to Natural Resources Minister Cansfield, and Standing Committee member Bill Mauro frequently repeated that $30 million from the 2008 budget has been allocated to capacity-building for land-use planning. However a government advisory panel on the Far North has recommended that $100 million would be required in the next five years alone, which underscores the inadequacy of this small figure.

One Conservative member of Standing Committee seemed entirely opposed to the government’s vision for the Far North, repeatedly suggesting that conservation goals threaten economic development. However, even the rapid expansion of industry will only require a small portion of the Far North landbase, and conservation lands will also afford economic opportunities to local communities – several industry groups realize this and therefore supported the Premier’s 2008 announcement.  If done properly, land use planning will allow Ontario to achieve both economic prosperity and conservation milestones.

Unfortunately, as the large-scale opposition to this Act showed today, the current Bill falls well short of its promise. Though it appears that Premier McGuinty understands the importance of this Act, the most crucial features that will help fight climate change, protect ecosystems, and ensure that First Nations have control over land-use decisions are not reflected in Bill 191. The government needs to take this process more seriously, heed the suggestions of its stakeholders today, and draft a stronger, more inclusive Act that will accomplish what Premier McGuinty promised it would in July of 2008.

The next hearing will take place in Sioux Lookout in Northwest Ontario on August 10th. We will be there, and blogging again.

Learn more about our Boreal campaign and visit borealopportunity.ca for more information on the Far North legislation >>

NEXT: Day 2 -- Different Location,  but Same Concerns