RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION…

RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION QUESTION #2

I am writing as a white-bodied second-generation Canadian whose family member worked a key position in the Ontario energy sector for many years. My grandfather was the commissioning operations superintendent of the previously named Bruce Nuclear Power Station at Douglas Point. He was a settler from the U.K., moving to Canada as a child in the 1920s.

It is imperative that planning and siting of new generation and storage facilities involve not only early engagement and meaningful Indigenous consultations but economic reconciliation in the form of benefits sharing and equity partnerships. These actions should be non-negotiable when initiating any energy venture on Canadian soil. I agree with the statement that "Supporting Indigenous climate leadership and co-developing solutions with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples is central to advancing reconciliation and self-determination." It will also benefit timely climate solutions for ALL Ontarians.

Additionally, I expect the government to enable local ownership of energy projects to our Indigenous communities with long-term revenues supporting their local economic developments. Taking into consideration that the use of land for their food is crucial. An analysis by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation states that indigenous peoples' food systems are "among the world's most sustainable in terms of efficiency, avoiding waste and adapting to the seasons. Because their diets rely mainly on renewable resources found close to home, indigenous communities adjust land use according to seasonality". This aspect of their cultural wellness, including protecting sacred burial sites, requires ongoing access to specific grounds; therefore, pre-planning dialogue and land usage agreements are essential.

Today we understand it is crucial to rectify our mistakes. Acknowledging the genocide of Canada's Indigenous peoples and demonstrating ongoing reconciliatory action means not repeating the same behaviour, e.g., no longer "taking first and apologising later" (or, was so often the case, not apologising at all).

With the imminent climate catastrophe, we must act now, but we must act wisely and together; through listening, learning, and letting leadership come (at the very least) in equal measure from our Indigenous sisters, brothers, and 2Spirited allies whose sustainable systems have proven to work since time immemorial.

If my grandfather, a respectable, kind, and educated man, were still alive, he would be writing you now insisting we do things differently, and I would assert it is time we do things better.

The attached links below include several projects already underway or in completion, highlighting why early engagement and indigenous partnerships can work for the betterment of all.