A resource revenue sharing agreement with Treaty 3 is set to go into effect this fall. By the spring provincial budget, Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford is expected to provide more detail on his plans for resource revenue sharing with municipalities, as well.

"The infrastructure that's in our towns and cities to support resource operations takes a big hit," he said, during a recent interview.

"You see the road out to Kenora Forest Products and some of the access roads downtown, with huge logging trucks moving across it," the minister continued.

"So, our model's going to include support and help for those municipalities that feel that pressure and make sure that money, some of that money, stays here where it belongs instead of in Toronto," Rickford added.

The province also has plans in place for sharing resource revenues from mining and forestry with First Nations.

"Resource revenue sharing (RSS) will enable First Nations to share in the economic benefits of forestry and mining operations near their communities," it says on the web site for the Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

"The RRS agreements will provide a source of funding for First Nations to allocate towards key priorities, including economic development, education, health, community and cultural initiatives," the web site's message continues.

Starting this fall, partner First Nations will receive:

• 45 per cent of government revenues from forestry stumpage,
• 40 per cent of the annual mining tax and royalties from active mines at the time the agreements were signed, and
• 45 per cent from future mines in the areas covered by the agreements.

For more information:

Energy, Northern Development and Mines - Resource revenue sharing

Treaty 3 agreement