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December 17, 2015

OPEN LETTER TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU

Re: Fixing the Broken Review Process for Tar Sands Pipelines

Kindly accept our sincere congratulations on your election victory. There are real opportunities now for the federal government to finally recognize First Nations’ rightful place at the core of Canada’s past and its future. One such opportunity is the critical roadmap provided in the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). We are pleased that your Government is committed to implement all 94 Calls to Action.

Dear Premier Clark and Minister Cadieux:

Two reports were released this week that touch on the lives of Aboriginal children and youth. One was written by a Justice and will transform Canada's relationship with Aboriginal peoples. The other by a government insider, flippantly dismisses the value of reports written by Justices, and similarly dismisses Aboriginal peoples, taking as its incomprehensible premise that kids will die, and that this is just the collateral damage we should expect in a system that the Government has starved and ignored.

Dear Premier Clark,

Mr. Plecas has written a report called Decision Time as a special independent advisor to you and the Minister for Children and Families. Mr. Plecas was originally hired to review the J.P. case but his mandate was expanded to include an “interim report on the comparative analysis of applicable legislation, policy, standards and practice and recommendations for the improvement of Ministry, and other, systemic processes”.

(Ottawa, ON - December 10, 2015) First Nation chiefs from British Columbia and representatives from the Assembly of First Nations are calling on the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take a second look at a Cabinet decision of the former federal government providing initial approval of the controversial Site C dam. 

(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C.- December 10, 2015) Earlier this week, the Canadian Government announced the launch of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, beginning with pre-inquiry consultation. The Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls honours families and advocates who fought tirelessly for the national inquiry, and looks forward to participating in the pre-inquiry consultation and the inquiry itself. 

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
November 23, 2015

Dear Prime Minister,

Our organizations welcome your public commitment to a renewed relationship between the federal government and Indigenous Peoples in Canada based on the rights guaranteed in Canada’s Constitution and enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We hope that this vision of cooperation and partnership will shape your government’s actions and priorities from the outset. 

Dear Minister Bennett: 

We write to follow up on our November 4, 2015 letter and briefing note regarding the fair, just and timely resolution of specific claims. In that letter we recommend taking concrete measures to demonstrate the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation through resolving specific claims and to carry out this work in partnership with First Nations. The most pressing of these recommendations is the immediate restoration of specific claims research funding to claims research units (CRUs) and First Nations.

November 19, 2015

BC Climate Leadership Team:

Jordan Sturdy, MLA
Susan Laaksonen-Craig, Climate Action Secretariat
Nancy Olewiler, SFU
Dr. Thomas F. Pederson, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
Dr. James Tansey, UBC and Offsetters
Linda Hepner, City of Surrey
Paul Ives, Town of Comox
Luke Strimbold, Village of Burns Lake
Tzeporah Berman, York University
Matt Horne, Pembina Institute
Merran Smith, Clean Energy Canada
James Gorman, West Fraser Timber
David Keane, BC LNG Alliance
Greg McDougall, Harbour Air
Tim Newton, Formerly BC Hydro; Power Ex
Chief Ian Campbell, Squamish First Nation
Chief Michelle Edwards, Cayoose Creek
Chief Zach Parker, Ulkatcho First Nation

OPEN LETTER: BC Climate Leadership Team Must Oppose Site C