New Brunswick premier says First Nations title claim is serious and far-reaching
A title claim for 60 per cent of New Brunswick's territory that was filed by six Wolastoqey chiefs is very serious and has far-reaching implications, Premier Blaine Higgs said Wednesday.
In a revised land claim filed on Tuesday, the chiefs targeted corporations such as NB Power and forestry giant J.D. Irving, which exploit resources on their traditional lands. The chiefs want the land returned, they want compensation for the use of that land for the last 200 years, and they want title to the entire area.
"The land specified in this claim is not owned by politicians or even by the government in every case," Higgs told reporters in Fredericton. "It is land that belongs to New Brunswickers that people paid for and continue to pay for through their annual taxes."
Higgs said the claim could have a serious impact on the forestry industry and on the provincial economy.
The defendants listed in the claim include J.D. Irving Ltd. and 18 of its subsidiaries or related entities, NB Power, Acadian Timber, Twin Rivers Paper, H.J. Crabbe & Sons and A.V. Group. The companies are named in addition to the governments of New Brunswick and Canada.
"Never before has a claim of this nature attempted to take control of land that is privately owned," Higgs said. "It lacks the clarity that New Brunswickers deserve."
Higgs said if the province had to put a value on all the land identified in the document, it would be in the trillions of dollars. He said while some chiefs have assured they won't displace New Brunswickers from their homes and farms, he said he doesn't see that clearly defined in the court document.
"This claim creates tremendous uncertainty," Higgs said. "It requires our government's full attention."
Natural Resources Minister Mike Holland said the claim could have a major impact on the province's forestry industry. "Forestry is the backbone of this province's economy in many ways, especially in rural New Brunswick," he told reporters.
"The strength of this sector keeps food on the table for one in 14 New Brunswickers," he added. "In total, over 22,000 New Brunswickers are directly or indirectly employed by forestry."
Madawaska Maliseet First Nation Chief Patricia Bernard said the chiefs have no intention to bankrupt the province or leave anyone destitute. "We want to work with the province. We want to work with these industries," she told reporters during a virtual news conference late Wednesday.
"We were backed in a corner. We had no choice," she said. "If it was not this particular government, I don't think we'd be here right now. I think we'd be sitting down negotiating, dealing with our issues, dealing with jurisdiction, dealing with revenues on a partnership basis."
Higgs said he has asked for a meeting with the Wolastoqey chiefs, adding that he hopes they can meet before the end of the year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.