SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Lise Vaugeois

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • Thunder Bay—Superior North
  • New Democratic Party of Ontario
  • Ontario
  • 272 Park Ave. Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6M9 LVaugeois-CO@ndp.on.ca
  • tel: 807-345-3647
  • fax: 807-345-2922
  • LVaugeois-QP@ndp.on.ca

  • Government Page
  • May/16/23 5:00:00 p.m.
  • Re: Bill 85 

What was that? Framework. Thank you very much—to establish a framework so that business had security and First Nations had security, knowing that they would be able to work together and come to an agreement that everybody could live with.

I want to talk a little bit about—jeez, I’m going to run out of time, and I had so much I wanted to share. Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, also known as Pic River First Nation, is just east of Marathon on Lake Superior. They recently signed an agreement with Generation Mining. The town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg worked very closely together. That’s a relationship they’ve been working on for years. And the relationship with Generation Mining has also been worked on for years. The entire community voted on whether they would go ahead with this agreement, and that actually was a very beautiful ceremony in which that agreement, in principle, was signed.

It’s possible to do this right. It’s possible to build these relationships. If we really wanted to, we could get clean water in every one of those communities at the snap of our fingers, but instead, that doesn’t get done and, in fact, it’s kind of used as a bit of a—the nice way to call it would be a bargaining chip. “If you do what we want, maybe we’ll give you your water.” Instead, we have a bill—Bill 71—that overrides the wishes of First Nations and tramples on, compromises on environmental protections for mine remediation. We know that these things can work if they’re done properly, with respect. We also know that pushing through Bill 71 was not an act of respect and that it will not provide the business security that people are looking for and it will lead to more court cases.

310 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
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