No Ring of Fire mining without consent, alliance demands – Collingwood Today
July 21, 2023
At a rally near Queen’s Park, First Nations leaders, supported by labour and advocacy groups, called on the province to meaningfully consult on the Ring of Fire
The chief of a northern First Nation is calling B-S on the province’s claim that his community has been adequately consulted on the plans for mining in the Ring of Fire.
Neskantaga Chief Chris Moonias was one of the key speakers at a rally held by an alliance of First Nations outside of the Ministry of Mines in Toronto on Thursday to demand the government not proceed with mining projects without full, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples.
It comes after the First Nation was in court last week, asking the Ontario Superior Court to issue orders to the province concerning its duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples under the Environmental Assessment Act (“EAA”).
“The Ford government says Ontario has met its legal obligations to consult Neskantaga during the pandemic, but those are lies,” Moonias said. “That’s, to be honest, bullshit.”
