Chris Selley: Earth to Liberals — First Nations are not an anti-development monolith
Sean Fraser — the federal Liberals' supposed master communicator who did a bad job as immigration minister, and then a bad job as housing minister, and then said he wasn't running again to spend time with his family, and then opportunistically changed his mind and was rewarded with the justice and attorney general portfolio — laid his first dog's egg of the Mark Carney era this week.
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Fraser said Indigenous groups don't have a 'complete veto' over natural-resource projects or any other government decisions — but that wasn't the turd in question, because it was absolutely true.
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The turd came later, apparently after getting his ears boxed by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse: Fraser disavowed his entirely truthful statement.
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'I think even accepting the premise of the question that was put to me (about a 'veto') really made people feel like there may be an attempt by the government to work unilaterally, not in partnership (with First Nations),' Fraser told reporters in a public apology.
'Despite innocent intentions, I think my comments actually caused hurt and potentially eroded a very precarious trust that has been built up over many years to respect the rights of Indigenous people in this country,' he said.
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Coming up on 500 years since Jacques Cartier first set foot here and named it Canada, and 150-plus years after the Crown concluded the first treaties with First Nations, and with President Donald Trump suddenly bringing our crippling dependence on the United States into very sharp focus, if we can't even speak the plain truth to each other in plain language, we might be in even bigger trouble than we realized.
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But I think we can speak the plain truth to each other in plain language, so long as we rightly marginalize fringe and unreasonable voices. While apologizing for speaking the truth, Fraser also accurately pointed to 'a frankly dangerous trope that paints a false picture of Indigenous peoples as being anti-development.'
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Media mostly portrayed the Ktunaxa Nation case, which wound up at the Supreme Court in 2017, as a matter of Indigenous people opposing the proposed Jumbo ski resort in eastern British Columbia on religious grounds: They felt the development would chase a spirit bear from their traditional lands. Receiving much less attention was the fact that the equally interested local Shuswap Nation supported the project, believing their concerns had been properly addressed and being eager to reap the financial benefits.
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Toronto Sun
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Events are being held across the country Saturday to mark Indigenous Peoples Day
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Toronto Sun
an hour ago
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First Nations youth say they're 'starting a movement' against major projects bills
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SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs,' said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. The federal Liberal government's Bill C-5, which passed through the House of Commons Friday night, allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects like mines, ports and pipelines. It sailed through a Commons committee in the early hours of Thursday with support from the Conservatives. And in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford's Conservatives have passed legislation allowing his government to designate 'special economic zones' where the provincial cabinet can exempt companies or projects from having to comply with any provincial law, provincial regulation or municipal bylaw. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Both pieces of legislation have met with fierce resistance from First Nations leaders who accuse Ottawa and Queen's Park of trampling on their rights and failing to consult with them in good faith. Kataquapit said First Nations youth are 'starting a movement' to protect their cultures and lands from what they see as increasing encroachment by governments looking to build major projects in a hurry. He compared both pieces of legislation to a rock falling off a mountain. 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Roy, who works as a liaison between Beausoleil First Nation and the private sector, spoke to The Canadian Press while attending a project management training session in Edmonton. Roy said the federal and provincial legislation makes their own work seem almost futile. 'I was like, 'Well, what the heck did I just get hired for then if (governments are) just going to bulldoze over everything I say?'' Roy said. 'I'm here trying to create a whole department for my community so that we can have a greater say in our treaty area and then (governments) are like, 'Oh, just kidding.' 'I'm angry. I'm frustrated, heartbroken, annoyed.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Much of that frustration comes from a sense of deja vu. First Nations say they've been in this position before, when legislation introduced by the Stephen Harper government to allow governments and businesses to push through projects without strict environmental assessment triggered the countrywide protest movement known as Idle No More. Roy vividly remembers sitting with their mother as a child as they took part in an Idle No More protest at a mall. 'It's frustrating that at 11 years old I was doing that, and now again at 23,' Roy said. 'If I'm tired of having to fight this again, I can only imagine how my grandmother feels.' Hanna Sewell, a nurse and a member of Batchewana First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said young people have to lead this fight because they're the ones who will have to live with the impacts of accelerated development. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'If the land is sick, we're going to be sick as well,' she said. 'We don't want this bill, and we are the future generations that are going to govern this land and save it.' Read More Pierre Debassige, a member of M'Chigeeng First Nation and youth councillor for Anishinabek Nation, said First Nations won't be the only ones to experience those impacts. 'If they start development in the Ring of Fire in the Far North, all those lakes, rivers all come down to the Great Lakes,' he said. 'If there's that contamination that comes down from the North, it's going to affect not only their communities, but here in southern Ontario.' Debassige said it's his generation's turn to step up. 'United we stand and we conquer, but divided we fall one by one,' he said. 'I'm always thinking of that seven generations behind me (and) what my great-great-great-great grandchildren are going to be doing. Maybe they'll see the work that I've done as a young person, (that I) fought for all of this.' Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Editorial Cartoons Sunshine Girls
Cision Canada
an hour ago
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Statement by ministers Guilbeault, Alty, Gull-Masty and Chartrand on National Indigenous Peoples Day Français
Ministers , Rebecca Alty, Mandy Gull-Masty and Rebecca Chartrand issue a statement on National Indigenous Peoples Day OTTAWA, ON, ancestral land of the Algonquin People, June 21, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages; the Honourable Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations; the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services; and the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, issued the following statement: "Today, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and celebrate the diverse languages, cultures, histories and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada. Coinciding with the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, this day holds deep significance for many Indigenous communities and is a moment to honour Indigenous leadership, knowledge, traditions and ways of being. Reconciliation is not just about acknowledging the past; it is about acting in the present and shaping a better future, together. It means renewing the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians, built on respect, truth and partnership. Our government is committed to being a partner to Indigenous peoples and to supporting their full participation in economic opportunities that will benefit current and future generations, as Indigenous equity and leadership will be pivotal in building a strong Canadian economy. As we mark this day, we invite everyone in Canada to take part in Indigenous-led events and celebrations happening from coast to coast to coast. Whether through ceremony, art, language or food, these experiences are an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the lands we live on and the peoples who have called them home since time immemorial. Canada's strength is rooted in the distinct histories and identities of its peoples, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis voices, rights and worldviews are central to building a stronger, more united Canada—and to shaping our shared future with strength, pride and resilience.
