The Aboriginal Community this past year has been a landmark one for legal and other developments in land and natural resources management with major implications for First Nations and other Aboriginal groups as well as for industry and policy makers.
ABORIGINAL LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FORUM
This past year has been a landmark one for legal and other developments in land and natural resources management with major implications for First Nations and other Aboriginal groups as well as for industry and policy makers.
This annual Insight Information event will examine key developments in policy, legal and business contexts, and the implications these hold for the future well-being of Aboriginal communities. As Land Managers and Chief’s responsibilities expand in scope, government and industry are encouraged and compelled to create meaningful partnerships with First Nations.
Speakers at this important conference will bring solutions and perspective on how and why due consideration must be paid to community, traditional and regional values, and priorities. Consultation, accommodation and other processes are evolving to help achieve these objectives. The next step is to bring industry, government, and the Aboriginal Community together to exchange insights into the challenges each must overcome in order to move these processes forward, for the benefit of all.
Attendees at this event will also have the opportunity to hear from their peers: Aboriginal-owned corporations that have found a recipe for success: Gitchi Animki Energy Corporation, Nigig Power Corporation, Shwe Miikaan Corporation, and Wataynikaneyap Power.
Forum Speaker: Harvey Yesno, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
SASKATCHEWAN MINING FORUM
Saskatchewan is home to a wealth of resources. Historically, the development of Saskatchewan’s resources has been affected by many factors over the years including availability of capital, technical challenges for resource recovery, commodity markets and other general factors.
In the last several years Saskatchewan’s resources have again caught the attention of the local and global mining sector as evidenced by the number of new developments being proposed and executed by new and returning players in the Saskatchewan resources sector. As a result, Saskatchewan has seen the benefit of exponential growth in its mineral resource sector as government, entrepreneurs, and mining industry participants have worked to bring Saskatchewan mineral resources to a global presence and influence like no other time in Saskatchewan’s history.
Due to Saskatchewan’s stability, a great opportunity currently exists to further explore and develop its mineral resources in conjunction with an increasing global demand for commodities.
This year’s event will also include the perspective of the Aboriginal Community, as well as a select group of government and industry leaders and experts that will help conference participants understand the opportunity for mineral resource exploration and development in Saskatchewan. They will provide attendees with information and guidance on how to successfully engage in Saskatchewan’s resource industry, as well as the steps required to include the Aboriginal Community in their processes to establish much-needed partnerships.
To highlight the need for inclusion and cooperation in the industry, presenters will include The Honourable Bill Boyd, SK Minister of the Economy, Chief Reginald Bellerose, Chief Executive Officer of Muskowekwan Resources Limited, and Nancy Komperdo, Co-Chair of Women in Mining and an Exploration Geoscientist at BHP Billiton.
NORTH OF 60 ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IN THE CANADIAN TERRITORIES
Much of Canada’s untapped natural resources are believed to lie in the territories. Covering 40 percent of Canada’s land mass, there is tremendous mineral potential; however, there are many barriers that prevent our ability to create sustainable extraction projects, let alone uncover vast mineral deposits through exploration.
As global commodity prices drop, the territories’ now face additional challenges in advancing their natural resource sector. As such, we must examine new means for prudent resource development north of the 60° parallel.
Much is happening in the territories that escape the everyday headlines, but which will inevitably play an important role in Canada’s economic future. These include much more than the commonly-known devolution discussion in Nunavut, the continuing implementation and challenges of the recently-established devolution agreement in the Northwest Territories, and the talks around Bill S-6 in the Yukon.
While these are important, the two most cited challenges for Northern development, and which the North of 60° Forum’s distinguished faculty will discuss, are the territories’ regulatory environment, and infrastructure needs.
Through case studies and panel discussions, practical solutions will be presented; further defining new means for achieving an attractive and sustainable regulatory system, viable options for reducing the cost of exploration and infrastructure development, and the necessity of collaboration between Aboriginal communities, government and the natural resource industry to accomplish these goals. The Honourable Scott Kent, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources for the Government of Yukon will be in attendance to add to these important discussions.
ONTARIO MINING FORUM
Mineral exploration and development are critical to the prosperity of many Northern Ontario communities, and the products of mining are essential to everyone in all parts of the province.
The value of the province’s mineral production in 2014 was $11 billion, making Ontario the leading province in mineral production every year for the last decade, and it is expected to grow by five more new mines over the next three years. These key projects will deliver important jobs to the North, and add significantly to the Ontario economy, but more can be done.
Since last year’s Ontario Mining Forum much has happened: continuing work on the proposed development of the Ring of Fire, the government’s commitment of up to $1 billion for strategic transportation infrastructure, the establishment of the Ring of Fire Infrastructure Development Corporation, the signing of a Framework Agreement with the Matawa First Nations, and many other developments.
“Our government is working to renew Ontario’s Mineral Development Strategy to further strengthen the sector. Renewing the Mineral Development Strategy with your input will allow us to seize opportunities for Ontario’s mineral development sector to continue to move forward in a prosperous direction.” – The Honourable Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Government of Ontario.
To achieve this goal, this conference will bring, among others, The Honourable Bill Mauro, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Harvey Yesno, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Lawrence Martin, Grand Chief of the Mushkegowuk Council, under the same roof to discuss solutions to move forward.
