Minor land use amendment to West Montreal River Provincial Park for Treaty Land entitlement - Matachewan First Nation.

Description of policy

The Matachewan First Nation and the governments of Ontario and Canada are working together to resolve a Treaty Land Entitlement claim through negotiation. The goal of this process is to conclude a fair and final settlement that will bring closure to longstanding issues and foster reconciliation. Matachewan First Nation’s claim is that it did not receive all the land to which it is entitled under Treaty 9. Canada and Ontario agreed to negotiate the Matachewan First Nation’s Treaty Land Entitlement claim following historical, legal, and policy reviews.

As part of the resolution of the claim, Ontario and Canada are proposing to transfer land to the Matachewan First Nation reserve, including 172 hectares that are currently within West Montreal River Provincial Park. This 7,259-hectare waterway class park protects a recreational water route and provides high quality recreational and educational opportunities. The lands proposed for transfer include a 200 metre wide strip along the shoreline of the West Montreal River within the townships of Baden, Powell and Cairo. The area includes Fort Matachewan, a former Hudson’s Bay trading post site. The area will be removed from the park by regulation.

This minor land use amendment is required to ensure land use direction is in place before the park boundary can be changed. If it is approved, a subsequent regulation change will be made to Ontario Regulation 316/07 under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 to amend the boundary of West Montreal River Provincial Park. No additional opportunity for public comment on the regulation will be provided.

Once the land has been removed from the park, it will be managed to ensure interim protection until the lands are transferred to Canada.

Other information

For general information on the land claim process, please contact:

Trish Malone
Negotiator
Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
160 Bloor Street East
Toronto, ON
M7A 2E6
Telephone: 416-326-4765
Fax: 416-326-4017
E-mail: MFNTLE@ontario.ca

Other public consultation opportunities

To comment on the proposed minor land use amendment to West Montreal River Provincial Park, please submit your comments online by clicking the ‘Submit a comment’ button, or by reaching out to the contacts listed.