Northerners don’t expect government hand-outs, or intrusive legislation from a remote provincial government in the south

Toronto Sun

Last Updated: August 19, 2010

The road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions.

Similarly, it seems the highway to God’s country ends in a dead-end created by well-meaning but wrong-headed do-gooders.

Northern Ontario has spectacular landscapes, vast mineral riches, untold tourism potential and resilient, self-reliant folk.

While northerners don’t expect government hand-outs, they also don’t expect intrusive legislation from a remote provincial government in the south.

Yet that’s what’s happening with the Far North Act, which would put half the land north of the 51st parallel out of bounds for development. Worse, the government hasn’t said which 50% of land is off the table.

That uncertainty means mining companies are thinking twice before they invest in the north.

Said Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce President Harold Wilson: “The junior mining companies, when they are out raising funds to go up there and look for and explore and prospect for new mineral developments, find it hard to do that when everyone says it’s so up in the air there. If you find something, maybe you can’t do anything with it.”

Aboriginal groups are outraged by the lack of consultation.

“The Far North Act violates our treaties and disrespects our jurisdictions,” said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “When we signed the treaties with the Crown we were recognized as a nation, and a nation has land, people and a culture.”

He noted the meetings in the aboriginal communities were not done in native languages.

Beardy also pointed out aboriginal people have been in the north for thousands of years and have respected and protected the land.

“All we are saying is that if there is going to be resource development, we must be in a position to participate in the global economy. Participation to us means that there must be real jobs and training for my people. We must be able to capture the economic spin-offs and activity. We must be part of wealth creation.”

Conservative leader Tim Hudak says he will scrap the Far North Act if he becomes premier.

“Basically it will freeze 50% of the land north of the 51st parallel and put enormous obstacles in front of any kind of development project on the rest,” he said.

Developments such as the vast Ring of Fire mineral deposit in northwestern Ontario and the De Beers diamond mine at Attawapiskat would never have been developed if this act had been in place 20 years ago, Hudak said.

Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey defended the bill.

She said it will provide communities “a voice in where development can occur. At the same time we are going to provide some environmental protection. At the end of the day, this is about making sure that there are jobs in the far north and we need to ensure that there are sustainable economic opportunities. At the same time, we need to protect the environment.”

She added simultaneous translation has been available in the aboriginal communities where she’s held consultations.

The bottom line is this bill will have a major impact on the fragile economy of the north and could have a devastating impact on development there.

The government needs to slow down and listen to what northerners are saying.

christina.blizzard@sunmedia.ca10 9:20pm