Tribal Council wants share of Huron Central retrofit contracts

NEWS RELEASE

NORTH SHORE TRIBAL COUNCIL

************************* First Nations agree that Canada, Ontario and HCR must honor commitments

THESSALON FIRST NATION - (January 17) - First Nations of the North Shore Tribal Council met in Thessalon First Nation for their quarterly board meeting and discussed a number of important matters of mutual concern.

Chairman Lyle Sayers from Garden River First Nation convened the meeting and intended to see many results occur in the one day long meeting.

A major focus of this discussion was the $30 million Huron Central Railway retrofit program that is scheduled from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury over the next four years.

The general consensus among the board, which includes all of the chiefs from the seven bands along the railway, is that benefit must flow to the First Nations.

Chief Isadore Day, Wiindawtegowinini says that he and the board look forward to a process that respects and adheres to First Nation procurement policy and involvement that has been stewarded by the First Nations in discussions directly with Huron Central Railway.

Much work has went into developing a First Nation provision in the request for proposals and has been acknowledged by both HCR and government and is viewed as a positive step forward in negotiations on this project.

“I am optimistic that what we have been able to structure here is an opportunity that recognizes the longstanding anomaly of our First Nations often being on the outside looking in at economic opportunity. Both Ontario and Canada and the respective lead ministries have been directly supportive in facilitating this and we expect to see this through to a successful conclusion that will see our communities benefit directly as a result of our work to prepare for this opportunity,” says Chief Day, who is the vice chair of the tribal council and who has been mandated by the board of directors several months back to ensure that the North Shore First Nation communities interests are structured into the implementation of this project by Huron Central Rail.

He has worked closely with both government and industry to ensure the appropriate approach and policy is recognized in the proposal process.

“The fact still remains that the Huron Central Rail project is leaning on government funds that have been earmarked for repairing the line that runs through our territory," says Day. "We as First Nations have long stated that government resources spent in the region should directly benefit our First Nations. If these were private sector dollars, we appreciate that the parameters for spending and selecting contracts would be much different - clearly this is an opportunity for a government-­to-government commitment that can set the stage for First Nation participation in a significant regional project and help engage our people in the local economy from the west end to the east side of this rail corridor – we intend to do our part.” concludes Day.

The First Nation provisions of procurement and access to economic benefit in this project has been defined as being of geography and territory, First Nation employment and training, existing agreements or supporting processes such as the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario and First Nation involvement in the northern economy and First Nation companies or joint ventures seeking to participate in the rail industry.

Proposals are being worked on by a First Nation company in the region that seeks to participate directly in 90 percent of the project and intends to utilize Anishnabek citizens to fuel the human capital requirements to complete this major undertaking.

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