ocap

On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the Ontario Coalition of Indigenous Peoples (OCIP) will be hosting an Information Session at the Timmins Native Friendship Centre from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The event will be held to inform Indigenous peoples in the Timmins area concerning the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) plans for the long-term care of used nuclear fuel and the process being implemented to identify an informed and willing community to host the project.

There will also be a presentation by OCIP representatives concerning the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada that Métis and non-status Indians are all Indians under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867. The Daniels case is an important new development in the history of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples and the impacts will be profound.

By inviting Indigenous peoples in Timmins and the surrounding area to attend this information session, OCIP is doing its part to ensure that the NWMO’s plans are known. During this information session, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. This event is not a consultative process for the purpose of justifying any infringement on Aboriginal, Treaty or Title rights, nor satisfying the duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal peoples.

“OCIP, along with NWMO, is hosting a respectful, accessible and inclusive event, so that Indigenous peoples are well informed about plans for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. We’ve been using electricity generated by nuclear power reactors and it’s important for us to deal with the used nuclear fuel,” said OCIP President, Brad Maggrah.

The purpose of NWMO is to develop and implement collaboratively with Canadians, a management approach for the long-term care of Canada’s used nuclear fuel that is socially acceptable, technically sound, environmentally responsible and economically feasible.

The NWMO operates on a not-for-profit basis and derives its mandate from the Federal Nuclear Fuel Waste Act, which came into force in November 2002.

OCIP is an affiliate member of the Indigneous Peoples’ Assembly of Canada, which has represented the rights and interests of off-reserve status and non-status Indians and Métis since 1971.

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