Holiday Greetings and Progress Updates
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Nov. 30, 2015

COMMUNIQUÉ

To: Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation Band & Community Members

From: Chief and Council

Date: November 30, 2015

As we approach the holiday season, Chief and Council would like to extend their best wishes to all of our Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation families and Community members. As the end of the year approaches, we would also like to take this opportunity to update our membership on a few key items to ensure you have access to the most accurate and reliable information possible.

As mentioned in the Fall Community Newsletter, members of our Flood Claim Negotiations Team and your Chief and Council have relentlessly worked with the Provincial and Federal Governments towards a final compensation package and agreement on our long outstanding flood claim. Chief White Cloud and our Administration have also been working very hard and persistently with INAC-AANDC Capital officials in an effort to access capital support of the re-establishment of our Community. Here are some of the highlights of these meetings:

➢ In November, after 2 years of pressuring the Federal Government Chief White Cloud and our Administrator were able to negotiate a capital commitment from INAC-AANDC confirming that they will provide 1.3 million towards wells (safe drinking water) and septic systems (safe waste disposal) required for phase one of the re-establishment of our Community. We have now secured the resources to assist members with the installation of the above necessary and vital infrastructure. Please note that phase one lots are still in the process of being surveyed and no lots have been dispersed as our Housing Committee is still working on the draft policies and procedures to ensure an equitable and fair process for all who submitted letters of interest.

➢ Over the past two and a half months we have had weekly discussions with the Federal and Provincial negotiators assigned to our on-going flood claim negotiations. To date, we have been able to come to an agreement with the Provincial Negotiator on Ontario’s proposed settlement package and we have a commitment from Ontario’s Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to enter into a Bilateral Agreement if we are unable to come to agreement in a timely manner with the Federal Government. The intent since the beginning of negotiations in 2009 has always been to have a tripartite settlement offer come forward to the LDMLFN from both the Federal and Provincial Governments. The Federal Negotiator has now made his second and up-dated submission to the review committee and expects that he will be able to meet face-to-face with us in mid-December to present the Federal and Provincial offer in a tripartite position.

➢ As our Flood Claim Agreement also requires an Easement Agreement, our Negotiations Team has been working diligently with Municipal and Provincial stakeholders in order to ensure that this is in place.

➢ Chief and Council and our Negotiations Team are ever confident that we will be able to come to a Tripartite Agreement on compensation with the Province and the Federal Government prior to the end of 2015. We expect that we will be able to present the offer of settlement package in a referendum vote of the membership very early in 2016. Although we do not know the suggested numbers from the Federal negotiator at this point, from the information he has shared in our recent communications, we feel that the soon to be received joint offer from the two levels of government will be recommended for settlement.

➢ Chief and Council are committed to holding the First Nations Annual AGM. In previous years, we have employed different formats, held in different locations, and typically in the month of November. We are currently planning this meeting. To be fiscally prudent, we have decided to host one meeting that will cover all of the general business of the First Nation and specific business on our Flood Claim Agreement resulting from the aforementioned key end of year meetings. We are aiming to have this meeting once we have a concrete offer to settle from both governments.

It has been a long road, and working towards the Flood Claim settlement for six years has taken much of our effort and time. We would like to say Chi Miigwetch to our membership for their ongoing support and patience. We believe that the settlement will go a long way in closing this chapter in our history and allow for healing in our Community.

We would also like to remind our members that the decision to accept this settlement DOES NOT reside solely with Chief and Council. Our flood claim settlement will be put to referendum vote through an organized and secure process to ensure our Band Members, who are of voting age, have a voice in this decision. It will ultimately be up to the people to decide if they want to accept the settlement or not. We look forward to discussing this process at the aforementioned meeting in the New Year.

Should any significant business arise in the meantime, we will be sure to update our membership and would like to remind our members to visit the “News” section of our website, www.lacdesmillelacsfirstnation.ca for the most accurate and reliable information.

Wishing all of our families, “A Safe and Happy Holidays and all the best in the upcoming New Year!”

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