Clean air, water

Page 12

Mayor and council of the 67,164 sq. km Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo passed a resolution in July supporting a Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) proposal looking to prioritize environmental spin-off benefits to municipalities in the federal millennium budget.

The FCM proposal, headed CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, CLEAN SOIL, calls for a new, long-term municipal infrastructure program nation-wide that aims to minimize environmental pollution and health risks while creating jobs.

Wood Buffalo's resolution states the millennium budget "offers an opportunity for achieving an improved quality of life and ensuring sustainable communities." It points out the FCM proposal supports waste management systems, water and energy efficiencies, main-street and urban core renewal, and mobility issues - for example, advanced technology public transit - while upholding the latest standards for conservation, reducing contaminants and harmful emissions, preserving wetlands and the like.

These infrastructure initiatives would "create jobs, reduce pollution, save taxpayers money resulting from reduced health and environmental damage, improve the efficiency or economy and make Canada more competitive, productive and innovative," the resolution states.

According to regional clerk Marcel Ulliac, the earliest they are likely to hear whether the FCM's proposal will be accepted and implemented is "late fall." Although municipal jurisdiction doesn't extend to the four First Nation communities within the region, the potential for co-operation in establishing environmental priorities, monitoring environmental conditions, and protecting shared resources exists. In addition, Ulliac says, the benefits of an improved regional economy and environment would benefit everyone.

Ulliac was asked if he had done any consultation with Native people, either on- or off-reserve about what they were trying to achieve, insofar as it related to the environment and creating jobs.

"The consultation is done through their elected representatives (mayor and10 councillors). . . . This is a first step; it's just to gain support by the elected body, to try to encourage the federal and provincial governments to introduce this infrastructure program, to allow municipalities across the country to access capital dollars for infrastructure purposes." Ulliac concluded that unless and until the proposal is approved, so that specific projects can be planned, there is nothing to consult anyone about.

Fort McMurray First Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Fort McKay First Nation, and Janvier First Nation are located within the region. Outside the reserves, 5,220 people residing in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo identified themselves in the last municipal census as having Aboriginal heritage: of that number, 44.5 per cent are treaty, 7.2 per cent non-treaty, 46.5 per cent Metis and 1.8 per cent Inuit.

President of Metis Local 2020, Glen Tremblay, says the Metis population alone is closer to 8,000. An exact figure is not available, he adds, because requests to the Metis Nation of Alberta for a census "falls on deaf ears."

Ulliac says apart from First Nation reserves, the total population of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is "about 40,000," of which 36,000 reside in Fort McMurray. Their census shows 10.4 per cent of Fort McMurray's population is Aboriginal; outside the city the figure is 65.4 per cent.