Latest news with #AFN
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Doug Ford apologizes to Ontario First Nations for his 'passionate' comments
OTTAWA — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has apologized to Ontario First Nations for saying they cannot 'keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government' for more money. Article content On Thursday, Ford met with chiefs who are part of Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations in the province. Before the meeting started, he issued an apology to them and repeated his apology in public during a press conference after the meeting. Article content Article content Article content 'I just want to say I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' he said. Article content Article content Linda Debassige, Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation, said the chiefs in the meeting felt that Ford's apology was 'sincere.' Article content 'We are looking at today as a new day going forward,' she said. Article content Ford made those comments on Wednesday over concerns that First Nations in the province have over the passage of Bill 5, which gives the province the power to suspend municipal and provincial laws for projects through so-called special economic zones. Article content Ford has said the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario will be declared the first such zone. While First Nations have said they want to be part of economic development, they are outraged by the government's decision to proceed with legislation before consulting them. Article content Article content Ford dismissed those concerns during an unrelated press conference. Article content Article content 'This is like handing an opportunity on a silver platter to First Nations that, by the way, I have treated like gold,' he said. 'But there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you've got to be able to take care of yourselves.' Article content Ford continued: 'When you literally have gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral that the world wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't want to touch that, by the way, give me money' — not going to happen.' Article content Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak urged Ford to withdraw his remarks in a letter sent Thursday, saying that his words 'only serve to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable in any way or circumstance.'
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Doug Ford apologizes to Ontario First Nations for his 'passionate' comments
Article content OTTAWA — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has apologized to Ontario First Nations for saying they cannot 'keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government' for more money. On Thursday, Ford met with chiefs who are part of Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations in the province. Before the meeting started, he issued an apology to them and repeated his apology in public during a press conference after the meeting. Article content 'I just want to say I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' he said. Linda Debassige, Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation, said the chiefs in the meeting felt that Ford's apology was 'sincere.' 'We are looking at today as a new day going forward,' she said. Ford made those comments on Wednesday over concerns that First Nations in the province have over the passage of Bill 5, which gives the province the power to suspend municipal and provincial laws for projects through so-called special economic zones. Ford has said the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario will be declared the first such zone. While First Nations have said they want to be part of economic development, they are outraged by the government's decision to proceed with legislation before consulting them. Article content Ford dismissed those concerns during an unrelated press conference. 'This is like handing an opportunity on a silver platter to First Nations that, by the way, I have treated like gold,' he said. 'But there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you've got to be able to take care of yourselves.' Ford continued: 'When you literally have gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral that the world wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't want to touch that, by the way, give me money' — not going to happen.' Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak urged Ford to withdraw his remarks in a letter sent Thursday, saying that his words 'only serve to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable in any way or circumstance.' Ford justified his brash comments by saying he gets 'passionate' on the issue. Article content 'I want prosperity for their communities. I want prosperity for their children,' he said. 'As I said before, I'll always respect treaty rights, and I'll always respect the duty to consult, because without First Nations, we can't get the critical minerals out of the ground. We can't have the energy that we need, that the whole world wants,' he said. 'We're going to work together. We're going to get through this, and we're going to have a great collaboration,' he added. The federal government is also dealing with similar resistance from Indigenous peoples for fast-tracking a bill with the same number, C-5, which would also give cabinet sweeping powers to override federal laws to approve projects in the national interest. Like in Ontario, Indigenous peoples said they have not been consulted on the legislation beforehand. This has led to chiefs promising a summer of discontent over C-5, which is expected to be passed in the House of Commons by the end of this week and in the Senate next week. Article content Kebaowek First Nation Chief Lance Haymond qualified the rushed legislative process that led to the creation of C-5 a 'case study in how not to engage with Indigenous nations.' 'The conditions for an Idle No More 2.0 uprising are being written into the law as we speak,' he told the House of Commons transport committee late Wednesday night. Prime Minister Mark Carney said section 35 of the Constitution — which provides protection to the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada — is at the 'heart' of the bill and that it respects the principle of free, prior and informed consent. He said the legislation also has to be seen in parallel with measures his government is taking to finance equity ownership for Indigenous participation. The government has notably doubled the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion to help Indigenous peoples make major economic investments. Article content Carney said projects of national interest would only go ahead after consultation with provinces, Indigenous groups and stakeholders and only if conditions are met. Liberal MP Marc Miller, who served as minister of Indigenous Services and minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, said the entire process is about respect and building trust. 'You can't do that through legislation. You have to do that by being patient and sitting down and talking to people in a respectful way,' he told the National Post. — With files from Stephanie Taylor and the Canadian Press. Latest National Stories
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Doug Ford apologizes to Ontario First Nations for his 'passionate' comments
OTTAWA — Ontario Premier Doug Ford has apologized to Ontario First Nations for saying they cannot 'keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government' for more money. Article content On Thursday, Ford met with chiefs who are part of Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 First Nations in the province. Before the meeting started, he issued an apology to them and repeated his apology in public during a press conference after the meeting. Article content Article content Article content 'I just want to say I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' he said. Article content Article content 'We are looking at today as a new day going forward,' she said. Article content Ford made those comments on Wednesday over concerns that First Nations in the province have over the passage of Bill 5, which gives the province the power to suspend municipal and provincial laws for projects through so-called special economic zones. Article content Ford has said the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario will be declared the first such zone. While First Nations have said they want to be part of economic development, they are outraged by the government's decision to proceed with legislation before consulting them. Article content Article content Ford dismissed those concerns during an unrelated press conference. Article content 'This is like handing an opportunity on a silver platter to First Nations that, by the way, I have treated like gold,' he said. 'But there's going to be a point that you can't just keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government, you've got to be able to take care of yourselves.' Article content Ford continued: 'When you literally have gold mines, nickel mines, every type of critical mineral that the world wants, and you're saying, 'No, no, I don't want to touch that, by the way, give me money' — not going to happen.' Article content Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak urged Ford to withdraw his remarks in a letter sent Thursday, saying that his words 'only serve to perpetuate racist stereotypes and are not acceptable in any way or circumstance.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Anova Launches Fastest CME to London Service for Financial Markets
New Route Reshaping Global Financial Connectivity CHICAGO, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Anova Financial Networks (AFN), an international carrier and market data provider, has partnered with an industry-leading transatlantic cable company to deliver the fastest commercially available service from Chicago to London, a critical route for trading. This collaboration marks a significant shift in the solutions marketplace by combining the two companies' respective network strengths to offer unparalleled latency from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to Equinix's Slough (LD4) datacenter. "This partnership is the result of a mutual goal and longstanding effort to bring the financial community the fastest and most practical CME-to-LD4 service," said Joe Hilt, Chief Revenue Officer at AFN. "We're delivering a service that balances speed, performance and value in a way the market hasn't seen before." This unique offering melds AFN's high-capacity Chicago to New Jersey microwave connectivity with an ultra-fast transatlantic fiber system that spans from New Jersey to London. The result is a cutting-edge private bandwidth product that would otherwise require significant investment and complex integration by individual clients. The network is further enhanced by the ability to extend to Dublin, Frankfurt, Bergamo and other liquidity centers throughout Europe and Asia. "Anova is entering a new phase of growth worldwide," said Mike Persico, Anova's CEO & Founder. "As our clients' needs evolve, we're acutely committed to adding strategic assets and points of presence in order to deliver networks that address their specific use cases. The financial connectivity landscape is rapidly expanding - new digital currency asset classes and the corresponding cloud-centric locations translate to new opportunities for all participants in the ecosystem. And Anova is dedicated to building the global solution sets necessary to satisfy demand from traditional clients, as well as the next generation of customers." Anova and its partner expect this combined product will establish a new benchmark for transatlantic and inter-European trading connectivity. For more information about AFN, please call 516-567-6383, email info@ or visit About Anova Financial NetworksAnova Financial Networks is a global carrier that offers private bandwidth and market data distribution across traditional and digital asset classes. AFN's innovative low-latency technologies and client-centric approach enable the company to deliver secure and reliable solutions for banks, cloud-based & proprietary trading firms and exchanges worldwide. To learn more, visit and follow Anova on LinkedIn and Twitter @AnovaNetworks. Media Contact:Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)+1 866.695.3629 ext. 11jsa_anova@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Anova Financial Networks
CBC
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Assembly of First Nations summer meeting in Winnipeg moved to fall due to wildfires
The Assembly of First Nations' (AFN) annual general assembly, which was scheduled to be held in Winnipeg in July, has been postponed to September due to wildfires impacting many First Nations across the country. The annual general assembly of the AFN, a national advocacy organization for more than 630 First Nations, was scheduled to take place at the city's RBC Convention Centre July 14-17. The annual gathering brings hundreds of First Nations leaders and delegates together over three days to discuss and set national priorities for the year through resolutions passed by chiefs and proxies in attendance. "Many communities are actively engaged in emergency response efforts, and current conditions are impacting travel, accommodations, and the ability of delegates to participate in national gatherings," read an AFN statement issued June 12. "The AFN remains committed to supporting meaningful and safe participation for all member First Nations in the AGA." According to Indigenous Services Canada, as of June 17, there are 25 First Nations are impacted by wildland fires, and 31 First Nations evacuated including 11 communities in Manitoba. In total, 26,888 individuals are currently evacuated from First Nations due to the fires. On June 9, the Province of Manitoba asked people to reconsider non-essential travel in the province to prioritize accommodations for evacuees. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which represents all 63 First Nations in the province, said they were trying to respect the space needed for families that have been evacuated. "It just makes things easier to free up those hotel spaces and people, our families, are not being kicked out of their rooms because other events need to be accommodated," said Wilson. The event has been rescheduled to Sept. 3-5 in Winnipeg.
