Three First Nations and the Manitoba government have reached an agreement to create a long-term forest plan in the Swan Valley region in the province’s west. The agreement was described as an act of economic reconciliation by the signatories.
The memorandum of understanding, announced Friday, provides for the government, the region’s First Nations and the Louisiana-Pacific Canada forestry company to work together to develop a 20-year forest management plan to protect the rights from treaties and jobs.
It aims to resolve long-running disputes, several of which have ended up in court.
In 2022, for example, the Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation sued the government for failing to fulfill its constitutional duties of consultation.
The agreement affects the surroundings of the provincial park of Duck MountainPorcupine Provincial Forest and Hills Kettle Hillsbetween Lake Winnipegosis and the Saskatchewan border.
We fought hard to get this deal.
said the chief of the Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation, formerly known as the First Nation of Pine CreekDerek Nepinak.
We are deeply committed to Duck Mountain. This is our land. It is very important that these relationships are restored.
He signed the agreement alongside Sapotaweyak First Nation Chief Nelson Genaille and Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation Chief Elwood Zastre.
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Chief Nelson Genaille, left, Chief Derek Nepinak, standing left, Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses, center, Chief Elwood Zastre, back right, and Premier Wab Kinew sign a memorandum of understanding Friday at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Rosanna Hempel
The agreement also provides for the protection of animal populations, water and plants, Nepinak said. It recognizes that the provincial forest of Duck Mountain is also important for Manitobans making a living from the forestry industry.
We have no desire to deprive anyone of their livelihood, which is why it was important to create an opportunity for reconciliation to find common ground
he says.
Economic reconciliation
Premier Wab Kinew says the agreement marks a significant moment and sets a new standard for relations between the province and First Nations.
Today’s agreement is about livelihoods and protecting a way of life
did he declare. This act of economic reconciliation is good for the economy, Indigenous people and working-class Manitobans.
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Premier Wab Kinew says it is important that Manitoba find a way to respect First Nations and treaty rights while addressing economic imperatives.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Randall McKenzie
He adds that by this agreement the Manitoba government is committed to developing a plan that will keep the Louisiana-Pacific plant operating in the RM of Minitonas, while respecting the treaty rights of local First Nations
.
Louisiana-Pacific is logging in the provincial park Duck Mountain since 1994, under a licensing agreement that has been extended several times, sometimes without consultation with the First Nations.
With information from Darren Bernhardt
