Congratulations to Austin Halkett, Trishelle Hastings, Lindsay Monroe, Melvin Richard, Kawni Saric and Terry Sha’Oullie for their hard work, dedication and completion of the Youth Build program at the Thompson Boys and Girls Club. It was my pleasure to share in recognizing their accomplishments at the 2018 Youth Build graduation ceremony last week, and I wish them all the best of success and happiness as they pursue their goals.
To develop natural resources in a sustainable way and ensure Indigenous peoples can create and share the benefits of the mining sector’s growth in our province, our government is creating a protocol to promote active participation of First Nations in all phases of mineral development within their traditional territories. The Manitoba-First Nations Mineral Development Protocol will create certainty for First Nations and help advance mineral development projects in a timely manner. Once completed, the protocol will set out a stable and predictable consultation process to ensure First Nations communities are involved from initial exploration to mine development and reclamation.
Following an engagement process with approximately 20 First Nations as well as industry groups, a recently released report from protocol co-chairs Ron Evans, former chief of Norway House Cree Nation and Jim Downey, former Manitoba deputy premier, recommends several steps including a Crown-Aboriginal consultation guide with clear time frames. The insight and constructive input received will play an important part in the development of an action plan this fall.
Our government is also working with Ottawa to make long-term infrastructure investments that create jobs and economic growth, build inclusive communities and support a low-carbon economy for a better quality of life for northerners and all Manitobans. We have signed an agreement for $1.1 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects in the largest federal-provincial infrastructure agreement in Manitoba history.
