Ontario forges solo reform deal
Council chiefs in Ontario have approved an $8.5 billion region-specific deal for long-term reform of child and family services, leaving other communities unclear on the future for reform elsewhere in Turtle Island.
The deal comes in the wake of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) voting to reject a $47.8 billion child welfare reform deal last year, after which it emerged that the Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) were in negotiations with the federal government to carve out their own agreement.
The region-specific agreement was cemented at a signing ceremony on Wednesday between Indigenous Services Canada minister Patty Hajdu, COO regional chief Abram Benedict, and NAN grand chief Alvin Fiddler.
“Folks have asked me about national approaches and all this other stuff, and the only thing I can say is that I’m elected by 133 communities in this region, I represent this region, and the work we’re doing today advances the best interests of the region I represent,” Benedict told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.
The $8.5 billion will be provided over nine years to communities in Ontario. Fiddler told reporters at the press conference that it was necessary for Ontario to move forward with an agreement.
“This week, the chiefs in Ontario blocked out months of political noise and influence to do what’s best for our children,” he said. “We respectfully ask that anyone who may think they know better than us please listen carefully to our leadership who spoke loud and clear today about why we did this, and do not interfere with our decision.”
Hajdu said that it’s been “an absolute pleasure” working with Benedict and Fiddler over the last months.
“I had a lot of work to do on my side to get the entire government wrapping their head around a new way to tackle this,” Hajdu said.
“I want to congratulate everyone for their courage to step in a new direction, it’s scary sometimes to take a new step, but this is monumental.”
There remains uncertainty about how Canada will fulfil its reform obligations to the rest of the provinces.
