24 July 2008
News Release
Broad Coalition Welcomes Northern Boreal Plan, Urges Province to Uphold Indigenous Commitments
Toronto – Today, Amnesty International, Rainforest Action Network and a host of other labour, environmental, human rights, faith-based, and social justice groups issued a joint letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty welcoming his northern boreal forest proposal while urging his government to ensure that Indigenous peoples' rights are upheld in development decisions throughout the province.
Signatories to the letter include:
CAW, The Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University,
Christian Peacemaker Teams, CUPE National, CUPE Ontario, CUPW, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, Mining Watch Canada, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Youth Coalition, Toronto & York Region Labour Council and Amnesty International.
Ontario’s northern boreal forest plan includes a pledge to uphold and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples as part of a comprehensive planning process to promote conservation and sustainable economies in the region. According to the province, “planning at the community level will be a true partnership” and “local planning will only be done in agreement with First Nations.” The government also stated that “new forestry and the opening of new mines in the Far North would require community land use plans supported by local Aboriginal communities.”
While welcoming such commitments, today’s letter to Premier McGuinty urged the Ontario government “to ensure that these principles are applied consistently in the development of the Northern Boreal Forest plan and throughout the province.” The letter also pushed the province to “involve Indigenous peoples in land use planning and to obtain their consent in local planning…wherever the rights of Indigenous peoples may be affected.”
In addition, the letter calls on the province to honour Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant's pledge that "there will be no situation where [minerals] exploration will take place on traditional territories or sacred burial grounds without the consent of First Nations.” The letter urges the province to ensure that, pending reform of the Ontario Mining Act, no new mineral claims are staked or recorded, nor exploration permits, mining leases or licenses granted without the consent of the affected Indigenous peoples.
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For more information, please contact:
Beth Berton-Hunter, Media Relations, Amnesty International
416-363-9933, ext. 32
David Sone, Rainforest Action Network
415-720-0080