231026-021 – SESSION 6 – Learning From Indigenous Lead EAs

SESSION 6: Learning From Indigenous Lead EAs

2023 OAIA Conference Next Generation Impact and Environmental Assessment in Ontario

Thursday, October 26, 2023

10:40 am - 12:00 pm ET

Event Details

a. Indigenous Led EA ⏱ 10:40 am – 11:10 am Indigenous Led EAs – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The Story of How 3 Indigenous Led EA’s Have Evolved and Some of the Challenges and Opportunities Encountered Two northern Ontario First Nations, Marten Falls First Nation, and Webequie First Nation are co proponents leading the EAs for 3 road projects within the Ring of Fire area within their traditional territories. The project team will share insights about challenges and opportunities including: the story of where we started and where we are now and the evolution of discourse around project planning and impacts on project level including Regional Assessments, cumulative impacts, Federal and Ontario EA coordination in the 2020s, Federal Table, UNDRIP, TRC, capacity, self- determination, reconciliation, misinformation, braiding western science and Indigenous knowledge, and the search for meaningful engagement. Moderator:

Kevin Coulter, Senior Environmental Project Manager, Gannett Flemming

Presenters:

Michael Fox, President, Indigenous Community Engagement
Qasim Saddique, Principle Consultant, SUSLOP Inc.

b. Innovating and Changing Approaches ⏱ 11:10 am – 11:40 am Connecting the Arctic: Inuit-led Submarine Cable Routing & Feasibility Study The team will share their experiences associated with the preliminary routing, and feasibility assessment for consideration of a submarine option for Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link KHFL) in co- operation with the Nukik Corporation. KHFL is a 100% Inuit-owned and Inuit-led green inter-tie project that will be Nunavut’s first infrastructure link to Southern Canada, providing clean, renewable power and fibre-optic internet capacity. Presenters will focus on how this type of preliminary routing assessment can be carried out in an innovative and timely manner considering the use of various information sources, data acquisition tools, and associated challenges; permitting and regulatory reviews; and a review of assessment strategies, lessons learned and next step. Moderator:

Kevin Coulter, Senior Environmental Project Manager, Gannett Flemming

Presenters:

Ryan Doyle, Environmental Sciences & Planning, Eastern Canada Lead, HDR
Sarah Zappala, Routing & Siting Lead, HDR
Alison Williams, Intermediate Environmental Planner, HDR

Q & A With Michael, Qasim, Ryan, Sarah & Alison ⏱ 11:40 am - 12:00 pm

a. Indigenous Led EA
⏱ 10:40 am – 11:10 am

Indigenous Led EAs – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The Story of How 3 Indigenous Led EA’s Have Evolved and Some of the Challenges and Opportunities Encountered

Two northern Ontario First Nations, Marten Falls First Nation, and Webequie First Nation are co proponents leading the EAs for 3 road projects within the Ring of Fire area within their traditional territories. The project team will share insights about challenges and opportunities including: the story of where we started and where we are now and the evolution of discourse around project planning and impacts on project level including Regional Assessments, cumulative impacts, Federal and Ontario EA coordination in the 2020s, Federal Table, UNDRIP, TRC, capacity, self- determination, reconciliation, misinformation, braiding western science and Indigenous knowledge, and the search for meaningful engagement.

Moderator:

Kevin Coulter, Senior Environmental Project Manager, Gannett Flemming

Presenters:

Michael Fox, President, Indigenous Community Engagement
Qasim Saddique, Principle Consultant, SUSLOP Inc.

b. Innovating and Changing Approaches
⏱ 11:10 am – 11:40 am

Connecting the Arctic: Inuit-led Submarine Cable Routing & Feasibility Study

The team will share their experiences associated with the preliminary routing, and feasibility assessment for consideration of a submarine option for Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link KHFL) in co- operation with the Nukik Corporation. KHFL is a 100% Inuit-owned and Inuit-led green inter-tie project that will be Nunavut’s first infrastructure link to Southern Canada, providing clean, renewable power and fibre-optic internet capacity. Presenters will focus on how this type of preliminary routing assessment can be carried out in an innovative and timely manner considering the use of various information sources, data acquisition tools, and associated challenges; permitting and regulatory reviews; and a review of assessment strategies, lessons learned and next step.

Moderator: