Fort McKay First Nation and Alberta government achieve major milestone for Moose Lake with roadmap announcement at historic summit
- Fort McKay First Nation and Alberta announce a roadmap to approve Moose Lake Plan at the conclusion of major summit with government and industry stakeholders
- Fort McKay Chief commends new Alberta government for progress on Moose Lake where previous governments have fallen short
EDMONTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, Fort McKay First Nation Chief Mel Grandjamb and Alberta's Minister of Environment and Parks, the Honourable Jason Nixon, announced a three-month roadmap to finalize and approve the Moose Lake Plan. This comes at the conclusion of a full morning program with government and area leaseholders at the historic Moose Lake Together Summit convened by the Nation.
"After 20 years of negotiations, after 20 years in which previous governments with good intentions have fallen short, Fort McKay First Nation can see the finish line for Moose Lake. On behalf of my Councillors and all community members, I want to applaud the Honourable Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks, the Honourable Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, for their commitment to respect Treaty rights and foster responsible growth in the Athabasca oil sands," says Chief Mel Grandjamb of the Fort McKay First Nation. "This roadmap and commitment to finalizing Moose Lake show that responsible resource development can be a tool for reconciliation."
Chief Grandjamb and Minister Nixon shared the major milestone at the Summit convened by Fort McKay in downtown Edmonton, which was also attended by Minister Wilson and all Moose Lake area leaseholders including Athabasca Oil, Chevron Canada, PetroChina, Prosper Petroleum, Sunshine Oilsands, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, and Northland Forest Products. Other attendees present as observers included representatives from the Grand Council of Treaty 8 First Nations, Assembly of First Nations Alberta Region, fellow Athabasca Tribal Council members Chiefs Allan Adam and Ron Kreutzer, other First Nations, the Metis Settlements General Council, Imperial Oil, Syncrude, Teck Resources, and other interested parties.
As part of the three-month roadmap to approve the Moose Lake Plan, Alberta and Fort McKay will conduct monthly meetings and weekly working sessions to ensure a high level of collaboration.
Once the plan is approved, managed bitumen and forestry resource development will be permitted in the Moose Lake area with appropriate conditions that reduce development impacts to maintain the ecological and cultural integrity of traditional land that is sacred to Fort McKay.
"Fort McKay is proud to be a longstanding contributor to Alberta's economy and to be a champion for responsible resource development even as we protect a culture and heritage that has thrived in this region for millennia. The Moose Lake plan will provide the clarity and certainty that we all need to grow the economy and respect Treaty rights. We look forward to working with Minister Nixon over the next three months to finalize the Moose Lake Plan and cross the finish line together. Our community members can rest assured that Moose Lake -- our last wilderness -- will be protected to pass down our traditions and way of life for generations to come," says Chief Mel Grandjamb.
For more information and to schedule interviews with Fort McKay First Nation spokespeople, please contact:
Tatianna Ducklow
P: 587-897-7430
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Fort McKay First Nation
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