New federal legislation to protect WLWB
Tłı̨chǫ Government welcomes new federal legislation to protect the Wek’èezhı̀i Land and Water Board.
Ottawa, ON (November 9th, 2018) - The Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief and Chiefs are in Ottawa to witness the introduction into Parliament of legislation that will undo previous changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. Those changes would have disbanded the Wek’èezhı̀i Land and Water Board (WLWB) and replaced it with a Mackenzie Valley-wide “superboard”.
The Trudeau government has followed through on its commitment to the Tłı̨chǫ to undo these Harper-era changes, which were halted in 2015 after the Tłı̨chǫ Government successfully obtained a court injunction.
Grand Chief George Mackenzie stated:
“Today, the federal Liberals have taken an important step to protect and support our Tłı̨chǫ Agreement through the introduction of this legislation. This preserves a meaningful voice for the Tłı̨chǫ in the co-management decision-making process for development, as intended by our modern treaty. We thank the Minister and his department for their support on this fundamental issue.”
An established, recognized, and respected regulatory system helps create the certainty that the north needs to encourage economic growth. Tłı̨chǫ Government continues to support economic prosperity for our communities and citizens through the development of regulatory certainty. Tłı̨chǫ Government has developed clear rules for land use through the Tłı̨chǫ Wenek’e, (Tłı̨chǫ Land Use Plan), is developing a Minerals and Community Engagement Strategy, and provides ongoing support to our regulatory decision-making organizations.
The WLWB includes appointees from both the federal and Tłı̨chǫ Governments and makes regulatory decisions on applications for land and water use within the Wek’èezhı̀i Management area. The WLWB works with other land and water boards in the Mackenzie Valley to develop regulatory consistency, while maintaining regional voices in decision-making.
For media interviews, please contact Zabey Nevitt at 1-867-445-9959 or email [email protected]
