Processes that ensure…

Processes that ensure environmental safety and Indigenous rights are NOT red tape. I want to live in a province that has robust, clear, predictable, participatory environmental assessment processes that take context and complexity into consideration.

It is important for the Government of Canada, and the Province of Ontario, to undo the harm that settler colonialism continues to inflict on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. If any extractive project is taking place on the traditional territory of an Indigenous nation, the proponent should be required to obtain free, prior, and informed consent from this community before moving forward. This process should be part of any good environmental assessment, and is foundational to the Truth and Reconciliation that Canada proclaims to be undertaking.

Lastly, I am outraged that Bill 197 was passed with no opportunity for meaningful public input, and would like to remind the government of their obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights!