Transcript
The Far North of Ontario…vast…wild…awe inspiring.
Over 450,000 square kilometres of boreal forest, tundra, peatland and wetland.
The Far North is over 40 per cent of Ontario’s landmass. Its remote communities are far beyond where the roads and rails end.
But the Far North is rich with life, and opportunity.
The region is home to 24,000 people living in communities north of the 51st parallel. Most of these people are First Nations. The people of the Far North have a long history with this land.
This land is a vital treasure and jewel on the Ontario landscape.
That is why last July Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced that 225,000 square kilometres of the Far North boreal region will be protected forever. It’s an area three times the size of Lake Superior.
Premier Dalton McGuinty “Now is the time for us to act. Now is the time for us to take a stand. Now is the time for us to stand up for our children and their children. Now is the time for us to be good, responsible stewards of our global environment. So, we are taking a stand.”
Protection is vital because the region is home to a remarkable array of more than 200 sensitive species of animals, including
Polar bear…
Woodland caribou…
Bald eagle…
Beluga whale…
Wolverine…
It’s one of the world’s largest remaining intact ecosystems.
Former Minister Donna Cansfield “In Ontario, the Far North is one of our best weapons against climate change. It is a huge carbon sink – an enormous reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon. Protecting more than half the area of the Far North is a significant contribution to Ontario’s climate change strategy."
The Far North also holds great potential for future economic opportunities. It is home to a wealth of natural resources like minerals - deep in the ground and bountiful forests.
But there are also new economic opportunities: tourism; green energy from wind farms and hydroelectric dams; and environmentally friendly biofibre. The First Nations communities in the Far North will benefit from increased economic opportunity, while Ontario as a whole will benefit from the cleaner air that green energy will produce.
Ontario has embarked on an unprecedented plan to address the challenges of: protecting the environment, finding business opportunities, and sharing the wealth.
The Government of Ontario and the Ministry of Natural Resources are working together with Far North First Nations so they may have a greater say in its future, its protection and a greater share in its possible prosperity.
The goal is to develop community-based land use plans that both conserve the vast environment of the Far North and provide environmentally sustainable economic opportunities and greater prosperity for the area's people. Our goal is to strike the right balance between conservation and development.
We will create a framework for our plan this year which will lead to a Far North Land Use Strategy.
At the same time, local land use planning initiatives are already underway with a number of Far North First Nation Communities, and others are at various stages of initiating their local plans.
The process will take many years, but already new relationships have formed.
Together we are laying down the vision for the future of the Far North and the people who live there.
We are building a legacy for future generations.
