Carney Assures Métis Leaders of Rights and Consultation Under Build Canada Legislation

Ottawa, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Mark Carney has assured Métis leaders that their voices will be heard and their rights respected as the Liberal government moves forward with legislation aimed at fast-tracking major projects deemed to be in the national interest.

Opening a small summit on Thursday at the Centre for Geography and Exploration, 50 Sussex Drive, along the Ottawa River, Carney acknowledged that economic and public policy decisions have often been made without sufficient consultation with Métis communities. “But we’re listening now,” he said.

“Respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples is at the core of the Building Canada Act. It’s embedded in the law itself,” Carney added. “This law requires meaningful consultation with Indigenous Peoples both in determining which projects are in the national interest and in the development of the conditions for each project.”

The meeting marks the final of three summits held this summer to address Indigenous concerns that the legislation could bypass environmental protections and undermine their rights in the name of cutting red tape. Previous meetings with First Nations and Inuit leaders produced cautious optimism, with assurances that modern treaties and Indigenous rights would be respected.

At Thursday’s summit, federal ministers described the discussions as productive, while Métis leaders expressed support for the legislation. “I support this 100 per cent,” said Glen McCallum, President of Métis Nation–Saskatchewan. “As long as we’re negotiating and we’re communicating, being consulted properly in a timely way, I have no problem.”

Dave Lamouche, President of the Métis Settlements General Council, representing eight Métis settlements in Alberta, echoed the sentiment, describing the summit as a “very productive and positive meeting” and noting broad Métis support for the Build Canada bill.

Carney also acknowledged the historical contributions of the Métis Nation as traders and voyageurs who helped establish Canada’s early trade networks. “In some respects our task today is part of a process of creating new trade networks, new forms of commerce in Canada, both with full recognition this time of Métis contributions and full Métis access to the opportunities and prosperity that this building will create,” he said.

However, the summit occurred amid a boycott by Manitoba Métis leaders and concerns from other groups who were not invited. Loretta Waquan, President of Fort McKay Métis Nation in Alberta, criticized her community’s exclusion. “We are in the heart of the industry. We should have been number one on the list, being that we are credibly asserted. We should have been notified,” she said. “If they want to move fast on this Bill C-5, we need to be consulted, and we need to be consulted in the right way.”

The Build Canada Act represents a key government initiative to streamline major infrastructure projects while emphasizing consultation and inclusion of Indigenous communities across the country.