(Toronto, Ont. –July 22, 2025)  Ontario First Nations Leadership joined Leadership from across the country last week for a two-day national summit with Prime Minister Mark Carney, cabinet ministers and senior federal officials to discuss the path forward on Bill C-5 and major infrastructure projects.

While Chiefs of Ontario welcomed the opportunity for direct dialogue, it was noted throughout the event that this dialogue was not consultation. The summit cannot replace formal, nation-to-nation processes required by law and the honour of the Crown.

“We are pro-development. We want prosperity for our communities and for all Canadians, but not at the expense of our rights,” said Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict. “First Nations must be consulted before a project is declared to be in the national interest. If decisions are made without us, it’s not consultation—it’s exclusion.

We need to ensure that there is a pathway forward that ensures that Canada isn’t just searching for rubber stamps on pre-determined priorities and projects.”

First Nations Leadership in Ontario also raised concerns about Canada’s ongoing use of pan-Indigenous advisory structures. Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly have communicated clearly through mandates and resolutions that First Nations in Ontario are fundamentally opposed to pan-Indigenous approaches and demand distinctions-based advisory councils for each legitimate Indigenous Nation.

“While these councils can offer some valuable perspectives to the government, they cannot replace direct engagement with Nations that hold inherent and Treaty rights,” said Regional Chief Benedict. “It is of the utmost importance that we are uplifting legitimate rights holders recognized under section 35 of the Constitution Act.”

During the session on meaningful consultation, Chief Archie Wabasse of Wunnumin Lake First Nation emphasized, “if reconciliation is real, then laws like this cannot stand. If consultation is sincere, then it must start when the idea is forming, not when the ink has dried. And if Canada truly respects our treaties, it must sit with us not only in ceremony, but in Parliament, in legislation, and in decision-making.”

Addressing the infrastructure crisis in First Nations was a key priority for Leadership during discussions. Before Canada moves forward with any nation-building megaprojects, it must first invest in the basic infrastructure that many First Nations still lack.

Ontario First Nations Leadership have made it clear that if Canada proceeds without proper consultation and consent, they are prepared to act.

“First Nations are prepared to challenge this in court and take necessary legal action to ensure that our rights as the First Peoples of this land are upheld, and that the Crown is held to these obligations and duties,” said Regional Chief Benedict.

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The Chiefs of Ontario support all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @ChiefsOfOntario.

Media Contact:

Isak Vaillancourt
Communications Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
Telephone: 416-819-8184
Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org

Declan Keogh
Strategic Advocacy Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
Telephone: (514) 591-5375
Email: declan.keogh@coo.org