The Ministry of Natural Resources - Order to amend the boundaries of a planning area

Pikangikum First Nation’s land use plan, Keeping the Land: A Land Use Strategy for the Whitefeather Forest and Adjacent Areas, was approved in 2006.  It was deemed a Community Based Land Use Plan (CBLUP) under the Far North Act, 2010.   The development of the CBLUP was a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Pikangikum First Nation.  The CBLUP provides direction for land use activities within the Whitefeather Forest and adjacent areas. 

Pikangikum First Nation has requested additional reserve land (by way of Band Council Resolution) to address the community’s immediate housing and infrastructure needs. This is based in part on a long-standing Ontario commitment. The requested lands are shown in the map provided and are approximately 338.5 hectares more or less.  

The amendment to the planning area boundary of the Keeping the Land CBLUP will remove lands from the planning area to support the Ontario land transfer process.  The majority of the requested addition to reserve lands (ATR) lands are designated Cultural Landscape Waterways Enhanced Management Area, with a small portion designated Central Whitefeather - Ayohtahtahgwahgahneewahng General Use Area.  As described in Keeping the Land, the community’s vision for the area speaks to Pikangikum people maintaining their “ancestral stewardship responsibilities for Keeping the Land (Cheekahnahwaydahmunk Keetahkeemeenahn) for the continued survival and well-being of Pikangikum people.” 

The requested ATR lands (plan boundary amendment area) also contain roughly 17 hectares of Beekahncheekahmeeng Deebahncheekayweehn Eenahohnahnuhn (BDE) that is regulated as a provincial park under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (see map in “supporting materials”).  Ontario Parks is concurrently consulting on the proposed deregulation of the regulated provincial park area, to support the land transfer process (see “related ERO notices”).

A joint Terms of Reference developed under s.10(3) of the Far North Act, 2010, was developed to guide the planning area boundary amendment process, requiring approval by the First Nation and the Minister of Natural Resources. 

Public consultation opportunities

Stakeholders with a known or potential interest will also be notified of the proposal to make an order to amend the planning area boundary of the CBLUP to support Ontario’s land transfer process, as appropriate.