On August 15, 2025, The Financial Post published “Legal Rights should not depend on lineage – Indigenous or otherwise”, an “Opinion” by Bruce Pardy of the Fraser Institute. His basic conclusion is: “In a free country governed by the rule of law, Aboriginal rights should not exist.” The problem is that anyone who relies on
Very well said. As someone who works in the mining industry (geologist), it is so strange to me that there are people who think first nations should not have a right to refuse resource extraction on their land. Surely you wouldnt appreciate if I showed up in your backyard and started just digging a big ass hole without your permission juat because I staked a claim and the government said Icould. Besides, it isn’t like its impossible to reach agreements with first nations and get their approval to operate, surely they should be entitled to their fair share of the profits from resource extraction on their land, and since the value of the land is unique to them they should have the leverage to be able to define what their fair share is.
Imagine if someone tried to open a mine up in Muskoka? Think Ford would be fast tracking approval for a mine in cottage country? No, because the land has value to people in southern Ontario, and a lot of the province’s population has connection to it while they have little to no connection to the places they do open the mines so they dont care. It all feels like a modern expression of colonialism, just within our own country where the capitalists in the south can further enrich themselves from the exploitation of indigenous people in remote places to minimize the impacts to people that the government favours more.
Very well said. As someone who works in the mining industry (geologist), it is so strange to me that there are people who think first nations should not have a right to refuse resource extraction on their land. Surely you wouldnt appreciate if I showed up in your backyard and started just digging a big ass hole without your permission juat because I staked a claim and the government said Icould. Besides, it isn’t like its impossible to reach agreements with first nations and get their approval to operate, surely they should be entitled to their fair share of the profits from resource extraction on their land, and since the value of the land is unique to them they should have the leverage to be able to define what their fair share is.
Imagine if someone tried to open a mine up in Muskoka? Think Ford would be fast tracking approval for a mine in cottage country? No, because the land has value to people in southern Ontario, and a lot of the province’s population has connection to it while they have little to no connection to the places they do open the mines so they dont care. It all feels like a modern expression of colonialism, just within our own country where the capitalists in the south can further enrich themselves from the exploitation of indigenous people in remote places to minimize the impacts to people that the government favours more.