Sounds like the 'stuck in the past' Moonias is threatening more blockades instead of working with the progressive Matawa to help his people.  Such a shame they don't have better leadership.  Fort Albany appears on google maps to be about 300km from Webequie.  Hardly their backyard.

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The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): The member for Kiiwetinoong has given notice of dissatisfaction with the answer to a question given by the Premier and/or his parliamentary assistant—or, in this case, the member from Peterborough–Kawartha, because unanimous consent has been given. The member has up to five minutes to debate the matter, and in this case, the member from Peterborough–Kawartha may reply for up to five minutes. I now turn it over to the member from Kiiwetinoong.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker. Good evening. I’m here this evening to ask the government once again about resource extraction in Treaty 9 territory as it relates to the Ring of Fire development. Yesterday, I asked two questions of the government: (1) Can you tell me how ripping up previous agreements, then coming back to essentially the same agreements, is progress? (2) Community decisions don’t happen at the speed of business. Keeping this in mind, how will Ontario make sure that First Nations who are not ready “to move at the speed of business” are heard and accommodated? This was based on a troubling statement from the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and of Indigenous relations that First Nations succeed and show leadership, according to the minister, only when they’re prepared “to move at the speed of business.” I am concerned about the answer given by the government on Monday, because communities adjacent to the Ring of Fire have been excluded from important intergovernmental leadership meetings on this project, which will have major impacts on their traditional territories.

Two of these communities have said this publicly since Monday. Fort Albany First Nation stated that they had “been participating in good faith in the consultations related to the impact and environmental assessment processes for the Marten Falls and Webequie roads.” For them, the announcement on Monday raised “serious concerns about free, prior and informed consent, the transparency and integrity of the provincial environmental
 assessment processes, and whether Ontario is meeting its duty to consult.” My friend Chief Leo Metatawabin, who will be here shortly with me this evening—he’s actually right there— stated that “Ontario’s enthusiastic support for the northern road link without any meaningful dialogue at all with Fort Albany” made him “extremely concerned that Ontario is not approaching their duty to consult in good faith, and that any consultation with Fort Albany will simply be a rubber-stamp exercise.”

Chief Moonias of Neskantaga First Nation also warned the province that the northern road link into their territory will be met with “determined opposition” from the community. On Monday, Chief Moonias said, “You can expect opposition if Ontario, or any road proponent, tries to put a shovel in the ground of our territory without our consent.” In a statement, Neskantaga said that the proposed road would divide its territory and cross the Attawapiskat River, which is the lifeblood of its culture and a way of life. Chief Moonias called the Ring of Fire a symbol of Ford’s “jump on a dozer” agenda. He said that if the province wants to build a road, it will have to ensure “it doesn’t become another flashpoint in broader national clashes between governments and First Nations on free, prior and informed consent.” The chief stated that he learned of Monday’s announcement in a last-minute phone call from the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Chief Metatawabin from Fort Albany, who is here, learned of the northern road link through a press release made by the Office of the Premier on Monday afternoon. It appears to be a two-tiered system when it comes to consultation and relationship-building with First Nations in Ontario. I have spoken about this in the chamber multiple times—about the concept of free, prior and informed consent. Basically, what these communities are telling you is that this new announcement has not been made in good faith and with all communities. This approach to consultation is unacceptable in this era and only leads to project delays. My friend Chief Metatawabin stated earlier this week: “Our people will not accept this. We will not consent to anything done with disregard for our inherent and treaty rights.” At this time, Ontario is choosing to respect two communities—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Now I return to the member from Peterborough– Kawartha. You may respond for up to five minutes.

Mr. Dave Smith: The area currently referred to as the Ring of Fire region represents a major economic opportunity in Ontario’s broader mission to create jobs, attract investment, build infrastructure, and bring prosperity to communities across the north, including First Nations communities. On Monday, Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation invited the Ontario government to join with them to take a major step forward. This step forward is unlocking the opportunity by entering into an historic agreement to advance the planning and development of a proposed northern link. The northern link road will connect the two communities’ access roads currently being studied, from the Webequie Supply Road to Marten Falls, and on to the provincial highway.

But Mr. Speaker, this is more than just a road. This is a corridor to prosperity that will improve the quality of life for First Nation communities. It provides better access to economic opportunities, health care, education and housing supports. The chief of Marten Falls confirmed this when he said, “We look forward to working together with Ontario to ensure the sustainable development of our ancestral territories.... Marten Falls First Nation takes seriously our right to make decisions for the betterment of our community. We are moving ahead with this this agreement so all communities in the region can connect to the next phase, which is to secure and bring good-paying jobs in mining, construction, and other skilled trades to our communities.” The chief of Webequie had this to stay: “We have been working together with Ontario for many years to reach this point. We believe that road development will help bring prosperity to communities across the region and better infrastructure—both on- and off-reserve. We understand that road development will impact our traditional territories but believe this is a positive step to unlocking new opportunities that will benefit all surrounding” First Nations.

Mr. Speaker, our government remains firmly committed to creating economic and social development in the Far North. As a leading global jurisdiction in mineral exploration and production, Ontario’s mining industry supports 26,000 direct jobs and approximately 50,000 indirect jobs, with the Indigenous people making up 11% of that workforce. That places the mining industry as one of the largest employers of Indigenous people in Ontario. All business cases point to the unprecedented opportunity that exists in the Ring of Fire region, but the opportunity means nothing without the infrastructure to get there. That’s why we’re moving forward with the development of the northern road link.

Mr. Speaker, we know that First Nation communities in this area face serious challenges, including shortages and issues with critical on-reserve infrastructure, such as housing and drinking water; wellness challenges such as mental health, above-average suicide rates, drug abuse; and other things that force the community to manage crises at the expense of long-term planning. Education, literacy and skills gaps mean that First Nations are not always able to take advantage of employment and economic development opportunities.

That’s why we’re investing in partnerships on important projects in First Nations communities like this, like the Matawa broadband project—we’re investing $30 million to benefit more than 670 homes and institutions with upgraded
 broadband service—and like the Watay transmission project, by providing $1.34 billion in financing to connect 1,400 First Nations community members to clean, reliable and affordable energy in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, we’re moving forward with a historic moment in Ontario.