MCEA - Indigenous Consultation Questionnaire

The MEA wants to understand how your municipality is approaching engagement and consultation with Indigenous Nations. To that end MEA  has prepared a survey that we hope you will take the time to complete to inform our work.  MEA has established a small sub-committee to focus on this issue.  MEA has provided some information on the rationale for improved Indigenous engagement and consultation. You can review this information or proceed directly to the survey.  Information gained from the survey results will be used by MEA  to assist with future amendments to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process.

A critical aspect of undertaking Municipal Class Environmental Assessments (MCEAs) is quality engagement and consultation with Indigenous Nations. The MEA has struck a sub-committee of the MCEA Committee to prepare best practice guidance.

The MEA recognizes all the generations of Indigenous Nations who have taken care of this land for thousands of years. We recognize and deeply appreciate their past, present, and future connection to the land. We also recognize the contributions that First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening our communities and country. Through the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), now enacted in Canadian law within the UNDRIP Act (2021), the MEA is committed to supporting its membership in developing renewed nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous Nations based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.

Within the context of the MCEA, the MECP (as the Province of Ontario) delegates procedural aspects of the Crown’s duty to consult to project proponents while retaining oversight of the consultation process. MEA sees a gap between the guidance that MECP offers in this regard and the needs of municipalities and Indigenous Nations.

As proponents, our approach needs to reflect our recognition of Indigenous Nations as inherent rights-holders and be guided by the ethos that we will provide all means necessary for Indigenous Nations to participate, understand, identify interests, issues of concern, and/or potential impact to treaty and/or traditional inherent rights that must be addressed.