New guidelines for First Nations on major projects

PRINCE GEORGE – The First Nations Majors Projects Coalition has released a new guide to help First Nation to get involved with major resource projects.

The Coalition says First Nations were often left out of the project planning and companies were forced to go back to the drawing board. Along with a step-by-step guide, there are a series of online videos to help.

“How can they effectively get involved in impact assessment processes,” explains Angel Ransom, Impact Assessment Lead for the First Nations Major Projects Coalition. “So they understand the process, they’re helping with the decision-making and then getting to that certainty, getting to a decision at the end of the day.”

The Coalition was originally formed by a collection of Northern BC First Nations felt they were not being included in the decisions around significant resource projects in their traditional territories. Since then, it has grown to include First Nations in Western Canada and the Northwest Territories.