Hampton: North excluded from tenure talks

News — 26 April 2011

The forest industry in northern Ontario is in an uproar following decisions regarding Bill 151, the Ontario Forest Tenure Modernization Act, 2011 handed down by the McGuinty government, to host consultations on the Bill in Toronto only.

Public consultations were open to anyone who wished to attend, but only in Toronto, or via videoconference. Many agencies, companies and individuals petitioned the provincial government to host some consultations in the north, but the requests fell on deaf ears.

The NDP party attempted to call on the government with adverse affects.

“Last week when the New Democrats put forward a motion, calling specifically for consultation, what they did is they quickly threw in a time allocation order which means there are not even going to allow much debate on the Bill,” said local MPP, Howard Hampton. “Further saying, the only hearings we are going to hold are downtown Toronto. Frankly, in downtown Toronto, nobody knows the significance of this legislation and nobody cares.”

“Let’s be clear what the government’s up to. First of all, the consultations that they did have over a year ago, were on very different things than what you see now,” said Hampton.

“I will say that for two years now we have been under this forest tenure review—two years of uncertainty in our forestry sector, two years of bleakness in forestry, two years when we’ve seen over 60 mills closed, over 40,000 jobs lost,” said Randy Hillier, MPP and Opposition Critic for the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry as written in the Ontario Hansard from first reading of the Bill.

“And in two years’ time we have received this bill, which is really nothing more than an empty vessel. It’s 16 pages which really provide nothing other than a backtrack, one more backtrack by this Liberal government, in their obligations to the north and to our forestry.”

Political oppositions are not the only ones expressing concern with the fast-tracking of the Bill. The Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) president and CEO, Jamie Lim says the OFIA presented to the Standing Committee at the hearings, and was in attendance for all of the presentations.

Lim reported during her presentation to the Standing Committee, “We look at all public policy with the purpose of doing what is in the best interest of the forest sector as a whole, and Bill 151 will create serious uncertainty at a time when the industry is beginning to recover.”

Nishnawbe Aski Nation also took time to weigh in on the debate, with Grand Chief Stan Beardy saying the introduction of Bill 151 largely fails First Nations and is yet another decision unilaterally made in a long string of disrespectful legislation being imposed on First Nations.

“It is very clear that Ontario does not take the concerns of First Nations seriously with regards to the forestry tenure reform process as, yet again, Ontario solicits input, then unilaterally makes decisions without consideration of those who are directly impacted,” said Beardy.

Beardy made his concerns known once again in a letter sent to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry on April 11.

By Ally Dunham

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