‘No good way’ to build major projects without First Nations partnership, natural resource minister tells AFN
Hodgson said major energy and infrastructure projects need First Nations as owners and partners, while chiefs pressed Ottawa for wildfire aid.
- Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson told First Nations chiefs Thursday in Ottawa that major projects require Indigenous partnership and leadership, positioning First Nations as builders and owners in energy and infrastructure initiatives.
- Federal moves to expedite major project approvals prompted First Nations chiefs Wednesday to organize opposition, with Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Chief Veronica Smith warning such efforts may undermine free, prior and informed consent and nation-to-nation decision-making.
- Lake Babine Nation Chief Wilfred Adam raised concerns about the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline affecting salmon populations, while Cold Lake First Nations Chief Kelsey Jacko told Hodgson: 'we will not allow our traditional territory to be treated as an underground garbage dump for multi-billion dollar oil companies.'
- Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded that partnership must begin 'from the beginning of conversations,' citing British Columbia's memorandum of understanding and Alberta Pathways project as examples.
- As Hodgson addressed the assembly, wildfires forced Namaygoosisagagun First Nation and four other Ontario communities to evacuate; Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige said chiefs were 'barely got out alive,' overshadowing the major projects debate.
27 Articles
27 Articles
A First Nation Burned to the Ground Without Warning, Exposing Canada's Wildfire Response Failures
The destruction of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation has intensified scrutiny of Ontario's wildfire response, with Indigenous communities bearing a disproportionate share of evacuations during the 2026 wildfire season.
Assembly of First Nations calls for support for First Nation in Ontario after wildfire
The Assembly of First Nations passed an emergency resolution calling on the government to help Namaygoosisagagun First Nation after a wildfire destroyed most of the community on Monday.
Collingwood Today
Hodgson pitches major projects to First Nations as wildfires scorch communities
OTTAWA — As Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson pitched First Nations chiefs in Ottawa on Thursday on the federal government's major projects push, chiefs in Ontario and Quebec were scrambling to secure federal help for communities forced to evacu
AFN passes resolution on wildfires in northern Ontario
Chiefs at the AFN assembly in Ottawa have unanimously approved a resolution calling on the prime minister to provide support, including financial, for communities devastated by wildfires. Namaygoosisagun First Nation (Collins First Nation), on the north shore of Collins Lake has been “wiped out” according to reports from the community. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige drafted the resolution Wednesday and said it should have…
‘No good way’ to build major projects without First Nations partnership, natural resource minister tells AFN
Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources told a room of chiefs on Thursday that in his mind “there is no good way to build major projects without First Nations partnership and leadership.”
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