Broad coalition writes to Ontario premier
Today RAN was part of a coalition that released a joint public letter to Ontario’s premier calling on him to implement his promises for the Northern Boreal with full respect for Indigenous rights.
The letter is here. The Canadian news release is here, and the U.S. one is on RAN.org.
It is worth noting that Canada’s largest union (CUPE National) and Canada’s largest private sector union (CAW) both signed onto the letter, along with enviro, faith based, youth, and other labor groups.
The signatories are:
Amnesty International
CAW
Christian Peacemaker Teams
CUPE National
CUPE Ontario
CUPW
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
Mining Watch Canada
Rainforest Action Network
Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University
Sierra Youth Coalition
Toronto & York Region Labour Council
The list would have been longer if not for the rush to get the letter out in a timely way.
An even larger coalition supported Grassy Narrows, KI, and Ardoch this past May as they gathered for four days and nights of ceremonies and rallies at the Provincial legislature. The gathering was attended by 3,000 people at its peak, and generated a lot of pressure for some of the very changes that the premier promised to implement only one month later.
12 Responses to “Broad coalition writes to Ontario premier”
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July 29th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
[...] next? First, we need to follow through to make sure this victory is fully realized. Visit here for the latest update. Meanwhile, a similar coalition of diverse interests can encourage other [...]
July 30th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Hoping you will implement the full meaning of the promises made…
July 30th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Fantastic! This is one of the first steps in the right direction!
July 30th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
We hope you will make a reality the words and promises made.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
This will be one of the biggest environmental ever implented and the right of the Native Peoples to their own land and how they want to use it, lets HOPE it is followed through with as promised.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I hate to rain on your parade but i’ve seen too many promises broken and anouncements not follow through to believe any Canadian government gives a damn for First Nations or the Enviroment.I hope they prove me wrong.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Ontario’s premier will certainly do the right thing, not?
July 30th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I hope that Ontario’s Premier will follow through with the promiss
July 30th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I do hope that this does go ahead, we have little time to make these changes, should we fail then, who knows how these changes will affect our future, lets us not get this wrong!!
Barrie (Barru) Evans
July 30th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
you must preserve the northern boreal
July 31st, 2008 at 5:29 am
Thank you for supporting this measure!
August 1st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Thank you RAN and Greenpeace. I hope this means Kimberly Clark will be pressured to stop buying trees from the clear-cut Boreal Forest.