Phil Fontaine has devoted his life to improving the quality of life for First Nations citizens. He was born in 1944 at Sagkeeng First Nation, 150 kilometres north of Winnipeg. He attended residential schools in Sagkeeng and Assiniboia, later emerging as a leading critic of abuse in that system. In the 1970s, Phil Fontaine served …
Across the North American continent there are many stories from earlier times of conflict when the interests of First Nations people came up against commercial greed.
One such incident took place at Bruce Mines in 1847 and fortunately for all concerned the situation was defused and settled amicably.
The rush to obtain copper and other minerals at Bruce Mines was the first instance of commercial mining operations in the northern Ontario.
Mining activity in Canada is on the rise due to higher metal prices and the metals shortage worldwide. According to Natural Resources Canada, “approximately 1,200 Aboriginal communities are located within 200 kilometres of producing mines and 2,100 exploration properties across Canada”.
Some of those communities have been participating in the industry through partnerships, joint ventures, and employment contracts in all aspects of mining ranging from early exploration projects to production mining. However, the majority of communities remain on the outside of development projects, some even resisting any aspect of development within their traditional lands.
Glenn Nolan is the Chief of the Missanabie Cree First Nation, located in northern Ontario. He is a strong advocate for sharing information between the mining industry and First Nation communities. Nolan is a director at the Prospectors and Developer Association of Canada (PDAC) and has been recently voted to the position of second Vice-President. …
