Co-management agreement to bring economic benefits for Métis settlements

A new co-management agreement signed between the province and the Métis Settlement General Council will mean more economic opportunities for Métis settlements.

“The real big benefit of this agreement is that now, with industry coming on settlement land, there always has to be a benefit proposal package,” said Adam Kerr, policy analyst with MSGC.
That benefit package would include employment opportunities, training funds or consultation dollars.

“There’s always that benefit for the settlement to allow industry on to the land,” he said.

A moratorium was put on a previous co-management agreement five years ago because of concerns over royalties and public offerings, says Aboriginal Relations Minister Robin Campbell.

“When I became minister, the Métis Settlement General Council asked me if I could do something to help with the co-management agreement, that it would go a long way in helping them with sustainability and providing economic opportunities,” said Campbell.

Discussions took place with Campbell’s department as well as Alberta Energy.

“We were able to lift the moratorium and put in place an agreement that is going to, I think, provide real economic opportunities for the settlements in the coming years,” said Campbell.

Up until this point, says Kerr, any natural resources taken from Métis settlement lands has been accessed through diagonal drilling. Now, the agreement opens the door to industry to directly accessing settlement lands at a negotiated price.

The agreement also allows the settlement to participate in oil and gas holdings by creating corporations that are wholly owned by the settlement.

“We’re looking to make sure we have long term sustainability in natural resources. Non-renewable resources aren’t the best way to be sustainable, but it’s a good start,” said Kerr. “It will create a more diversified economy and we’ll be able to manage our finances over the long term.”

Industry was not included in the discussions, says Campbell.
“Industry was never an issue. They were always prepared to go in and do the work that has to be done,” he said.

The co-management agreement gives Métis settlement control over their resources, he added.

“This is not resource revenue sharing,” Campbell stressed.
Resource revenue sharing “is definitely on the table,” said Kerr. “We’re hoping for discussions of course but we don’t like making promises to our people that we can’t keep.”

Also on the agenda for discussion is a consultation policy between the MSGC and the government.

“They’re really trying to finish up the First Nation policy right now. I know that they’ve had a couple hiccups here and there. We’re going to let that take its course and hopefully we can benefit from whatever comes out of that consultation policy,” said Kerr.

Campbell anticipates those talks will begin later in the year.
“I’m hoping to have First Nations (consultation policy) done by the fall, then we’ll sit down with the Métis settlements and work on it.  The framework will be very similar. Once we get that done, we’ll sit down with the Métis Nation of Alberta and work on a framework,” he said.