TORONTO – BUSINESS – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and key members of her Cabinet, Federal Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day join business leaders, First Nations leaders, union leaders and Canada’s leading voices in clean tech and the environment at the inaugural Ontario Natural Resources Forum in Toronto at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, 123 Queen St. W. on April 5-6.
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day will deliver welcoming remarks — focused on First Nation jurisdiction over lands – at 9 am this morning at the first-ever Ontario Natural Resources Forum, prior to Premier Kathleen Wynne’s keynote address. The April 5-6 forum is at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto.
“The Political Accord signed between the Chiefs of Ontario and the Province last August has renewed our relationship and breathed life into Treaty rights, particularly in terms of jurisdiction and land rights,” said Regional Chief Day, who represents 133 First Nation communities. “First Nations in Ontario are poised to become a powerful economic force in terms of natural, renewable and human resources.
“Just last week, we met with five Ontario Ministers to discuss a wide range of issues that included resource revenue sharing, transportation infrastructure, and land use management. The need to act quickly on the global climate change crisis is a top shared priority. At the federal level, there is the strongest ever mandate to work with Indigenous Peoples. This alignment of provincial and federal commitments to our Peoples must result in concrete action.
“However, before First Nations can fully participate and build our economies, the root causes of poverty and despair must be addressed immediately,” added Regional Chief Day. “We must level the socio-economic playing field in regard to equally sharing our lands and resources. Once that is accomplished, First Nations will become the economic engines that will generate prosperity for all.”
The two-day conference will focus on how best to leverage Ontario’s natural resource wealth so that it boosts Ontario communities, businesses, the economy and the environment, including the present and future work force that will participate in it. Panellists and speakers will tackle topics like Mining Competitiveness, Economy and the Environment, First Nations and Resource Management, Energy Transformation, Transportation, Forestry Challenges, and Education and Skills. A full conference program can be found athttp://www.ontarionaturalresourcesforum.com/program/
The roster of speakers and panellists includes:
Tuesday, April 5
Premier Kathleen Wynne – 9:15 am Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day Hon. Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, Government of Ontario
Hon. Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Government of Ontario
Kelvin Dushnisky, President, Barrick Gold
Geoff Smith, President and CEO EllisDon
Scott Vaughan, President and CEO, International Institute of Sustainable Development
David Miller, President and CEO, World Wildlife Federation
Leah Lawrence, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Robert Kucheran, Chairman, Canada’s Building Trades
Wednesday, April 6
Hon. Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources Canada
Rt. Hon Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada
Hon. Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Government of Ontario
Chief Isadore Day, Ontario Regional Chief
Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations
