b'RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTA Sustainable PathHow WTCs mining policy is putting decisions back in the hands of First NationsBY RICK GARRICKT he Wabun Tribal Councilground where we live, so weve hadof mining claims in the Timmins and (WTC) is focusing onto find paths forward to partner withKirkland Lake region; in fact, there is finding sustainable pathsindustry because its the lifeblood ofhardly any space at all on our landscape forward to partner withnortheastern Ontario. that isnt taken up by some sort of mining industry through its mining policyThe WTC has had to make someclaim or jurisdiction.the outcome of a decade-plus-long compromises and sit down withIn order to navigate dialogues with effort to secure recognition and mining companies to figure out whatvarious industry stakeholders, the WTC acknowledgement of First Nations is reasonably fair for the six Wabuncreated templates and models they can rights to resource governance.communitiesBrunswick House Firstdeploy for each proponent wanting to The first thing we had to recognizeNation, Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation,explore and exploit mineral resources in is that where we live and where ourFlying Post First Nation, Matachewantheir territories.communities arethe six communitiesFirst Nation, Mattagami First NationWhile we still demand consultation of the Wabun Tribal Councillive in theand Beaverhouse First Nationto expectand we do all of the things necessary busiest mining jurisdiction in Canada:from the resources that are being takento keep the communities comfortable Timmins, Kirkland Lake and nowfrom their homelands, which they have awith whats happening on the land, Chapleau, says Jason Batise, executiveright to benefit from. theres a way we can engage thats easily director at the WTC. Theres beenOne of the key successes we had,deployed [and] easily measurable against mining going on here for over 100 yearsespecially on the early exploration side,expectations, Batise says. And to think and it continues, especially given the highis that we aimed to treat each entity thatback to industry, to tell them that this is price of gold as a commodity. Thats thecomes into our space equally, Batisethe way. If youre not willing to meet this commodity that comes out of the says. There are hundreds and hundredsthreshold, which we consider reasonable, 36l I ssue1 2025C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne'