The Town of Midland and Beausoleil First Nation officially signed a new Protocol Agreement Tuesday.
The purpose of the landmark agreement is to ensure there is transparent, open dialogue and engagement with regards to municipal and indigenous maters, specifically relating to project and planning matters and shared efforts to advance each community’s development.
The town lies within traditional and treaty territory of the Beausoleil First Nation.
“The Town of Midland recognizes the deep history that Indigenous peoples have with the area where Midland is now located," said Mayor Gord McKay. “We look forward to strengthening our historical ties with Beausoleil First Nation, and this agreement shows our joint strong commitment towards achieving that."
As part of the agreement a new Joint Indigenous Relations Group will be established that will focus economic development, heritage sharing and planning, land use planning and potential communications with other levels of government.
“The signing of this Protocol Agreement represents two elements to us," said Beausoleil First Nation Chief Mary McCue-King. “First, it is a good first step in the National Reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of the area. Second, the agreement is the first flower bloom of the historical deep rooted ties BFN has with the Town of Midland and we look forward to the future growth of those ties."
