Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston speaks to reporters at the Nova Scotia legislature in Halifax, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
The Nova Scotia Assembly of Mi’kmaw Chiefs says the provincial government needs to do a better job of consultation as it pushes to develop the province’s natural resources.
Chief Tamara Young, of Pictou Landing First Nation, told the legislature’s natural resources committee Tuesday that the chiefs have “serious concerns” over how recent decisions have been made without advance notice.
“We should not hear about important developments that Nova Scotia is making from the evening news,” said Young. “This includes when policy or legislative changes are being proposed in the mining sector.”
In March, the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Tim Houston passed legislation that lifted a long-standing ban on uranium exploration and mining and a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Houston has said the legislative changes were needed to boost the province’s economy as it deals with the challenges posed by U.S. tariffs.
However, the chiefs responded by issuing a news release on March 28 saying they were firmly opposed to any legislation that opens the door to hydraulic fracturing, a process more commonly known as fracking.
The chiefs said they were considering legal action and they accused the province of making decisions on unceded and traditional Mi’kmaq territory without properly consulting them.
Young told the committee it was time for the government to re-engage in consultations that are “early, consistent and meaningful.”
“Consulting the Mi’kmaq is simply not a box to be checked,” she said. “We will not support any process that treats our constitutional rights as an afterthought.”
Young also called on the province to update its consultation practices and to involve the Mi’kmaq in shaping the changes.
“There must be transparency and predictability around what triggers the duty to consult, including mining projects on private lands,” she said.
Earlier this month the province updated its list of priority critical minerals to include uranium and also announced that it was issuing a request for proposals for uranium exploration at three privately owned sites.
A mineral can be added to the list based on certain factors, including whether they can help the province meet its emission targets or global demand. The priority list is also meant to highlight minerals of strategic economic importance for the province.
Patrick Butler, senior Mi’kmaq energy and mines adviser, confirmed during the hearing that chiefs were also not consulted about the move to boost uranium exploration.
Butler described the relationship with the Natural Resources Department as “rocky and inconsistent,” over the last year, although he said there is a mineral resource working group that had established “a good working relationship” in the past.
“It has been very difficult in trying to keep up with the changes,” he said.
The department’s deputy minister, Karen Gatien, said the government is committed to consultations, but she agreed that it should be done earlier where possible.
Gatien told the committee that future consultation would occur “project by project.”
“It’s difficult for us right now to consult on something that doesn’t exist in terms of a concrete project in a particular area, but I think it will be really important to have rigorous consultation and meaningful consultation as the projects get developed,” said Gatien.
The deputy minister confirmed to reporters following the hearing that there were no formal documents or communications with the chiefs to inform them of the government’s legislative changes.
Meanwhile, the committee also heard from mining industry representatives Tuesday who called for major changes to the province’s permitting process for mining development, which they described as too lengthy and a hindrance to investment.
“Permitting is a major bottleneck in the process, that is why jurisdictions across Canada and around the world are taking steps to expedite permitting while continuing to ensure the highest environmental standards are applied,” said Sean Kirby, executive director of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia.
Kirby called for permitting to come under a single department, saying the process is currently handled across several.
“We are not asking for regulatory oversight to be less stringent, our concerns are with red tape, unclear requirements and lengthening timelines,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
The Canadian Press
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001