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Watch: Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Michael Bryant, Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse, and President of the Metis Nation of Ontario Gary Lipinski talking about the New Relationship Fund

Transcript

Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Michael Bryant:

We hope to achieve a number of things. Firstly, we want to build a stronger relationship, government to government with Aboriginal peoples. We want to ever improve the way that government consults and to better coordinate our consultations with Aboriginal peoples across the government.

We also want to improve relationships and coordination of consultations as between First Nations, Métis, governments and industry, improved consultations, we believe, will lead to increased business development and economic partnerships.

Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse:

The announcement of this fund demonstrates that Ontario does recognize that there are significant capacity needs
within First Nation communities. This investment represents a real positive step towards trying to address the lack of capacity within many of our first nation communities.

The fact is that First Nation communities are constantly having to respond to huge volumes of requests from government with respect to consultation on any and every issue that comes accross the government's initiatives desk. Today’s announcement doesn't mean that capacity issues in our communities have been totally addressed. But it signals that government recognizes the need and is prepared to begin exploring ways to address it.

Gary Lipinski, President of the Métis Nation of Ontario:

This fund then again becomes another positive step in that relationship, moving forward. And certainly it will help

develop capacity in the Métis Nation.  Certainly all Canadians are, I think, aware of the plight of First Nations in
particular, in the forefront .  They are always there with the communities and the issues they have to deal with, and rightfully so.

But so often the Canadian people, the Ontario people, don't understand Métis people, Métis communities in Ontario. In fact we've even had to go to court to be recognized as one of the Aboriginal peoples in Ontario.  And, ultimately, Supreme
Court of Canada confirm that there are rights to the Métis communities throughout Ontario with equal rights to the First Nations. 

So, again we're very pleased that the government is picking up on that, developing those positive relationships and working on that.

This fund will help us build capacity within, capacity within Métis Nation of Ontario and Métis communities across Ontario to deal with the issues you hear Minister Bryant and Regional Chief Toulouse mention as well.  Capacity for communities to engage with government sectors and industry in the spirit of cooperation and partnership going forward and being involved in economic development opportunities that are happening in the communities and regions across Ontario.