Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak speaks to the press
Indigenous opposition may slow Canadian fast-track
Federal and provincial governments have passed legislation to speed the development of hand-picked projects, but failure to win Indigenous support may stymie their plans
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to respond to US President Donald Trump’s threat to his country’s economy and sovereignty by making Canada “into an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy”. To support this goal, Carney’s government in late June quickly passed Bill C-5 to fast-track handpicked natural resources and related infrastructure projects of “nation-building” significance through the federal regulatory process. British Columbia (BC) and Ontario have passed similar legislation—Bills 14 and 15, and Bill 5, respectively—at the provincial level. However, Indigenous opposition may yet stymie these plans. “You avoid court challenges later by talking to First Nation
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