Neskantaga First Nation Issues Letter To The Ontario Government & Canada’s Minister Of Justice & Attorney General
MEDIA RELEASE
November 2, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MATAWA CHIEFS’ COUNCIL SUBMIT BRIEF TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS (CC39) LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BILL C-39 BUILDING CANADA STRONG ACT
(Neskantaga First Nation, ON) – This media release is to advise that the Neskantaga First Nation has issued a letter to the Ontario Solicitor General, Attorney General and Canada’s Minister of Justice & Attorney General in response to Ontario Regulatory Proposal 26-SOLGEN020:
“Neskantaga First Nation has legitimate concerns with the public safety aspect of the building of roads, highways and industry supply and extraction routes in and out of our First Nation lands and territories. Neskantaga First Nations has worked in partnership with other remote First Nations to provide security and monitor safety on the existing winter roads we rely on in the North. We have serious and documented concerns related to transport and load safety, impaired driving, and drug and human trafficking that will presumably increase as neither the governments of Canada and Ontario provide any investments to responsibly plan and prepare for the public safety and policing services required.” AND
“This proposal “seeking feedback” demonstrates that the Province of Ontario is merely covering its bases before advancing into the Ring of Fire mineral deposits, under the guise of having the direction, consent and complicity of all Ontarians as to the parameters to be set for the use of force deemed “publicly acceptable”. The proposed change being sought to legislated authorities and provincial offences will presumably be enforced by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).”
Neskantaga First Nation calls upon the Ontario government to withdraw this proposal, and for the intervention of Canada’s Minister of Justice & Attorney General to sound the alarm as to events that may unfold as Ontario proceeds with aggressive resource access strategies that invite conflict.
Ontario’s Regulatory Proposal 26-SOLGEN020:
https://www.regulatoryregistry.gov.on.ca/proposal/55215
The October 31, 2026 letter from Neskantaga First Nation is attached to this media release.
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MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS:
Nessie Nankivell nessie.nankivell@mail.utoronto.ca (647) 552-3647