http://www.canadianbusiness.com/
TORONTO – A First Nations leader from B.C. says aboriginal communities in Ontario’s Ring of Fire could benefit from striking a balance between mining development and land preservation.
Annita McPhee is president of the northwestern B.C. First Nations Tahltan Central Committee and says a balanced approach is required in negotiating how the northern Ontario mineral deposit will be developed.
McPhee says while it is important to sustain the mineral-rich land in the James Bay First Nations territory, opening it up to external industries offers potential monetary and employment benefits. In the Tahltan territory of B.C., mining development created tensions between First Nations and mining corporations from as early as 2005.
Led by McPhee, her group has negotiated $2 billion in resource development since 2011 in non-sacred pockets of Tahltan land, and another $11 billion is being considered. In return, the Tahltan have seen increased employment and funding for health care and cultural programs.
She says the solution has been protecting certain sacred areas of the land while allowing development in others, and she believes Ontario First Nations could benefit from a similar model.
“I can completely understand where the First Nations people in the Ring of Fire are coming from because they are experiencing something quite similar to us,” McPhee said.
“And now that we’ve developed these processes, we think we could share them with other people if they wanted to hear them,” she said.
McPhee says the process involves balancing what a First Nation wants with protecting its way of life and culture.
“(While) we determined what we want in terms of benefits, we had to come to terms with what it meant for the areas we wanted to protect,” she said. “It’s all about balance in approach.”
The Ring of Fire in northern Ontario is anticipated to bring in more than $60 billion in revenue.
The mineral belt was thrust into the spotlight in 2008 when chromite, a rare mineral used to create chrome and stainless steel products, was discovered in the 5,000-square-kilometre area.
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