Submission to the Ipperwash Inquiry – December, 2005
In Part 2 of its mandate, the Ipperwash Inquiry intends to examine relevant policy issues and make recommendations directed at the avoidance of violence in situations similar to those surrounding the death of Mr. Anthony (Dudley) George. To achieve its stated objectives, the Inquiry has adopted a process that involves commissioning expert research and policy papers on topics the Inquiry considers relevant. Among the topics to be addressed in Part 2 is the role of regulatory agencies in Aboriginal rights disputes in Ontario.
The Inquiry suggested such a research paper would include:
- Inventory of provincial and federal regulatory agencies that potentially impact Aboriginal rights, such as the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- List and analysis of regulatory agency enforcement mechanisms
- Analysis of historic and current relationship between enforcement agencies and Aboriginal peoples
- Analysis of enforcement protocols employed by regulatory agencies
- Oversight mechanisms
- Gathering and use of intelligence
- Relationship between agencies and police
The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to assist the Inquiry by providing information specific to the regulatory role of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in rights disputes in Ontario. While it is not comprehensive in responding to all issues identified by the Inquiry, it will provide at least a general overview of how the MNR specifically is approaching its relationships with Aboriginal people. This paper discusses where the compliance and enforcement components of MNR’s legislative and policy framework have the potential to bring MNR and Aboriginal people into conflict and MNR’s general response. Relationships with the Aboriginal community, consultation, assistance in the economic growth of Aboriginal communities (where this corresponds to MNR’s mandate) are also described.
Read full paper here (archived document).
ed. note: I really wanted this document on the site. Yes it’s from 2005, but it’s deep and detailed!
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Submission to the Ipperwash Inquiry – Part 2
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