Shawn Bell - Wawatay News

The Anishinabek Nation is calling out the Ontario government over phase 2 of the new Ontario mining act, saying the government is pushing through changes without directly consulting First Nations.
Ontario had set a May 1 deadline for comments on new regulatory proposals under phase 2 of the mining act. The regulations were posted online on March 12, with stakeholders asked to submit comments and concerns electronically or in written form.

First Nation leaders are threatening to pull support for mining in the Ring of Fire, after Cliffs Resources’ announced it plans to locate its chromite processing plant in Sudbury.
Cliffs announced on May 9 that the mining company will go ahead with the $3.3 billion Ring of Fire project, which includes the chromite mine east of Webequie, a transportation route running south from the mine site to connect to highway 17 near Aroland, and a ferrochrome processing plant in Sudbury.

Justin Tuesday of Northwest Bay First Nation has been found safe in Fort Frances.
The 14-year-old failed to return home from school on Wed. May 30, and was reported missing.
The Ontario Provincial Police’s Rainy River detachment announced on May 31 that Tuesday had been located in Fort Frances.

The Missanabie Cree First Nation (MCFN) is one step closer to resolving its outstanding treaty lands claim, after an Ontario court ruled that the federal and provincial governments must cover Missanabie Cree legal costs as negotiations go before the courts.
Missanabie Cree Chief Kim Rainville said the recent Ontario Superior Court decision provides his First Nation with the resources to take the final steps towards reclaiming its traditional lands.

First Nation leaders are criticizing the Ontario government’s new mining act, saying it puts too much faith in industry to “do the right thing” without adequate monitoring or regulations ensure meaningful consultation happens.
In a six-page letter to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM), Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) pointed out a range of flaws with phase two regulations, including concerns over the lack of compliance monitoring and enforcement.