Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 - (Page 9)

work,” he continues. “He said it was probably a very old aboriginal burial site so it would be a good idea to contact the closest aboriginal communities, the Mississauga of Scugog Island and Six Nations of the Grand River. About 24 hours after that, we also made contact with the Huron-Wendat in Quebec.” York Region representatives met with representatives of the First Nations that had inhabited the area in the past. “We as York Region went in without any idea as to what should be done; we had an interest as the property owner, but the First Nations, as relatives of the people buried there, also had an interest. The First Nations came out with a very strong opinion that the ossuary should remain there, so it was a really positive meeting,” says Collins. “It ended up being the start of a really good relationship between York Region and these three communities.” The municipality presented a design to the communities for approval. (“We also had taken the time to prepare an artist’s rendering for people who don’t know how to read architectural drawings.”) The plan was approved, and the project was completed. “We were fortunate on this project in that the contractor was also on contract for a lot of other parts of the infrastructure, so the fact that we had a one-year delay didn’t mean their whole contract was delayed,” Collins notes. Also, a new section of the road was able to remain open to traffic throughout the consultation because the ossuary was located under the original road, some 15 metres to the south. “The Teston Road consultation is one where York Region turned something around through a very thoughtful and sensitive engagement in the process into a win-win for everyone,” comments Audrey Bennett, Director of the Provincial Planning Policy Branch with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing. “It certainly changed how they’re approaching future infrastructure development.” European archeological significance, and a community consultation is part of the process. “We’re doing this to make sure people know what we’re doing and that we take the pre-contact heritage of Kingston very seriously,” says Alan McLeod, Senior Legal Counsel for the City of Kingston. “We’re also informing ourselves where possibili- “Long before municipalities have a need to consult, they should start to develop a relationship with First Nations communities that are in their jurisdiction.” ties arise that could be an issue in the future; waiting until there is a dispute is too late.” Elliot Lake has also been the scene of positive consultation. Since the 1950s, uranium mining and processing in the area had created environmental pollution that caused health problems for the Serpent River First Nation Reserve. When the site was decommissioned, public hearings were held on the Reserve. A not-for-profit organization was created to deal with matters related to environmental impact, with a board that includes representatives of the Serpent River First Nation and other community stakeholders. Now the municipality and the First Nation have signed a memo of understanding affirming their collaboration founded on five priorities: economy, employment and procurement; heritage planning and sharing of resources; mutually beneficial supportive initiatives, programs and services; land use and acquisition; and joint lobbying and communications with other governments. Developing Relationships The newly created Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is in the process of developing guidelines for provincial ministries on consultation with Aboriginal Peoples relating to aboriginal rights and treaty rights (available in draft form at www.nativeaffairs.jus.gov.on.ca). Its guiding principles are “respect for all Aboriginal Peoples living in Ontario, a commitment to meeting Ontario’s constitutional obligations to consult Aboriginal Peoples, the development of effective and efficient consultation processes, and aboriginal participation in the process of developing the final consultation guidelines.” In the past, says Williams, “These exercises have tended to take the form of telling people what you intend to do, and then, not long afterward, going ahead and doing it.” Instead, he suggests “a municipal government should not wait until it has a situation where it must consult. Instead, the municipality should meet with the councils of local aboriginal communities to discuss how and when consultation would take place.” municipal MONITOR • 9 Research and Consultation The City of Kingston is carrying out an archeological master plan to identify sites that could have pre-contact and January/February 2008 Photo © istockphoto.com/Clayton Hansen http://istockphoto.com/Clayton http://www.nativeaffairs.jus.gov.on.ca

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 Contents President’s Message: Recognizing Achievement Viewpoint: Increasing Voter Turnout Building Bridges The Municipal Buddy System Harnessing the Wind Water Under the Bridge Municipal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

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