Beardy cries foul over Bill 191

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy continues to denounce the Ontario government over Bill 191, the Far North Act, as a rally gets underway Sept. 15 outside Queen's Park in Toronto to oppose the bill.
Beardy said First Nations, tribal councils and NAN have all presented concerns and provided recommendations for changes to Bill 191 to the provincial government.
"To date these recommendations are not reflected in the current amendments," Beardy said.
The rally opposing Bill 191 comes as the bill is set for Third Reading Sept. 16 in the Ontario legislature. If the bill is passed at this reading, all it needs is royal assent before becoming law.
Leading up the reading, Beardy said the provincial government has attempted to put a positive spin on the bill to sway public opinion. As a result, NAN launched an anti-Bill 191 campaign opposing the bill and calling on the government to immediately withdraw the legislation.
Chiefs said they oppose the bill because it takes away jurisdiction and decision making in First Nation traditional territories.
Bill 191 was introduced in June 2009 to permanently protect at least half of Ontario's Far North, covering an area of about 225,000 square kilometres.
While First Nation communities in NAN territory move forward with land-use planning, Beardy said this does not mean there is support for the proposed bill.
"Community driven land-use-planning is essential in order to determine what areas need to be protected and what areas could be developed. These plans must be properly resourced on a timely basis in order to create opportunities for all future economic activity; more funding is required to ensure proper planning for an area that spans two-thirds of Ontario. More importantly, First Nations must have final say on land use in their territories" said Beardy.