Quebec Mining

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

Cree Nation says it’s working closely with mining companies in its territory

News that the mining sector has been added to the list of priority activities in Quebec is being met with concern from some Indigenous leaders in the province.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonatan Julien announced on Monday that mining operations in Quebec are now on the list of priority activities and services, meaning they can gradually restart operations beginning Wednesday.

“Quebec’s decision to allow the resumption of mining operations in a hurry is dangerously compromising the efforts made by our communities to slow the spread of [COVID-19] in the regions,” said Ghislain Picard, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, in a news release.

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Abel Bosum is the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees of Northern Quebec and President of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government.

If you’ve been watching the news over the past several weeks, you might have the impression that Indigenous rights and the appetite of non-Indigenous society for resources are irreconcilable, that polarization is inevitable, and that Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians are incapable of listening to one another. It doesn’t have to be this way.

The only way to bring down the barricades that separate us is by truly listening to one another. Right now across Canada, when we get word that a barricade is to be going down, even more spring up. The Prime Minister calls for dialogue and patience, and then yields to the lead of premiers. The situation is confusing for anyone trying to find resolve.

For the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee, the situation echoes 2002 – which marked the peak of decades of bitter conflict with Quebec. It was a conflict defined by an unfortunately all-too-common threat posed by large-scale resource development to traditional ways of life, based on hunting, fishing and trapping.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/

Cree leaders in Quebec are focused on reassuring a jittery population after announcing a far-reaching economic development agreement with Quebec regarding massive infrastructure improvements in the territory over the next 30 years and, very likely, more resource extraction projects.

The $4.7-billion Grande Alliance project was signed Monday by Cree Grand Chief Abel Bosum and Quebec Premier François Legault. It proposes a deep sea port, an improved and extended road network and a railway to be built up to the most northern reaches of Cree territory.

The deal came as a surprise to many Cree and had people expressing suspicion, worry and support for the deal on social media. People raised questions about what it will mean, how the land and animals would be affected, and how they will be consulted moving forward.

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https://montrealgazette.com/

The vision for the program that includes rail networks and wildlife habitat protection “came from us,” a Cree leader says.

Premier François Legault and the James Bay Cree have signed a $4.7-billion deal that will extend rail networks north, protect new wildlife habitats against development and partner on new infrastructure projects.

The Grand Alliance is a “new chapter” in the relationship between both governments, Legault said Monday. An extended rail network means more minerals can be extracted from mines in the boreal forest and shipped to American and German markets. By increasing rail capacity, Legault says Quebec will offer North American and European businesses an alternative to Chinese imports.

“It will create well-paying jobs in the Cree community but also foster a new generation of Cree entrepreneurs,” said Legault, who called the deal a model of nation-to-nation governance.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/

The deal is expected to last 30 years, ensure economic stability for the region

The Quebec and Cree Nation governments have signed a memorandum of understanding for a $5-billion, long-term economic development deal for the James Bay territory, known in the Cree language as Eeyou Istchee.

According to the mandate of the “Grande Alliance,” the deal aims to “the Indigenous values of the region,” while allowing several ambitious social and economic projects to proceed.

Those include the expansion of the rail network to reduce the negative impacts of trucking, the electrification of some industrial projects in the region and infrastructure sharing, Quebec Premier François Legault and Cree Grand Chief Abel Bosum announced Monday.

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