“Dear Chief and Councillors,
I am writing to ask if, as a representative of your community, you would be interested and available to participate in an engagement session later in May with the INAC Minister's Special Representative (MSR) on First Nation Canada-US border crossing issues.
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is hosting sessions in Terrace (May 24), Osoyoos (May 25) and Vancouver (May 26) which will last roughly four hours in duration with a working lunch included. It will be possible to reimburse travel and incidental costs for one representative per community.
In December 2016, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs announced the appointment of Fred Caron as the MSR to engage with First Nations on Canada-US border crossing issues. The MSR's mandate is to:
- Obtain a comprehensive picture of the unique Canada-US border crossing challenges faced by First Nations;
- Hear about the impacts on First Nation communities; and,
- Collect First Nations' views on potential solutions.
The MSR's report to the Minister, due out in late Summer 2017, will inform the work of a steering committee of senior officials made up of a number of federal departments and agencies. The committee is responsible for developing a plan to arrive at practical options to make it easier for First Nation community members to cross the Canada-US border, while respecting the need to protect national security and public safety.
The format of the session would start with a short introduction by Mr. Caron on his mandate and the purpose of the engagement before opening up the floor to discussion with First Nation representatives to hear perspectives on border crossing challenges and potential solutions. Representatives of all BC First Nations are invited to attend, and similar sessions with First Nation communities are being hosted by INAC in other parts of Canada between April and June.
To register for one of the sessions, please Click Here for the registration form. If you have any questions about the proposed engagement session, please don't hesitate to contact Vern Bob from the INAC BC Engagement Team at (604) 313-8957 or by email at: engagement@aandc-aadnc.gc.ca.
*Note – “We will send you a travel claim form once we receive your registration form.“
Click here for the Workshop Accommodation List
Respectfully,
Ben Berland M.S.S (Honours)
General Manager
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
1460 Sixth Ave.,
Prince George, BC V2L 3N2
“Dear Chief and Councillors,
I am writing to ask if, as a representative of your community, you would be interested and available to participate in an engagement session later in May with the INAC Minister's Special Representative (MSR) on First Nation Canada-US border crossing issues. Representatives of all BC First Nations are invited to attend.