Manitoba government response incoming on mining protocols – by Eric Westhaver (Flin Flon Reminder – October 2, 2018)

https://www.thereminder.ca/

New rules could soon be coming for Manitoba mining companies hoping to work with First Nations groups.

A formal response from the provincial government regarding the Manitoba-First Nations Mineral Development Protocol is due to come later this month, according to previous provincial statements.

In June, the provincial government and the Ministry of Growth, Enterprise and Trade announced a report from the project’s co-chairs – Ron Evans, former chief of Norway House Cree Nation, and Jim Downey, former deputy premier and MLA – that detailed the set of protocols. “A formal response is currently being finalized,” said a provincial spokesperson.

According to a statement from the spokesperson, the response to the report and implementation of the measures is currently being worked on by the province. “We look forward to sharing the response and next steps with First Nations, industry groups and stakeholders,” they said.

The protocols will formalize processes between companies wishing to open mining operations and First Nations groups. The hope for the protocols is to create business practices that, according to the spokesperson, are “clear, predictable and include reasonable timeframes.”

For the rest of this article: https://www.thereminder.ca/news/local-news/government-response-incoming-on-mining-protocols-1.23443408