It's unfortunate that First…

It's unfortunate that First Nation communities who don't have a recycling program who weren't a part of RPRA datacall before 2019 won't be on the list of transitioning communities right away, especially when some of them are surrounded by and in such close proximity to other cities and municipalities that are transitioning all around them. Fort William First Nation is one of those communities and will be left out of the initial transition. Well over one hundred thousand people will be transitioned in the Thunder Bay and surrounding area but the approximately 1500 community members on the reserve will not be. why? What a waste to have to come back to figure out how to accommodate 1500 people/ less than 400 households.

First Nation communities were only able to take advantage of recycling program funding that opened up right around the same time that RPRA's datacall closed, leaving again, the First Nations communities out of the loop and unable to access the help needed to implement these programs. Now it will impact how they'll be able to be transitioned into a blue box program, when it eventually does happen.

The producers responsible should be obligated to have conversations and consult with these First Nation communities to create a program that works with and for the community. For far too long the government has been willing to fund third party companies to come in and do the work for the First Nations but wouldn't supply them with the funds to learn skills and build capacity for themselves in their own communities and to create their own job opportunities. Allowing the producers almost full reign to do what they please without requirements to consult with the First Nations seems like it will be the same scenario. Leave the First Nations out of the discussion, offer the First Nations the opportunity to have someone else do it for them but continue to exclude the economic opportunities and capacity building for the community members themselves. Perhaps enforcing other requirements on the producers to consult with the First Nations and come up with a real solution to the waste problem on reserves would be more helpful.