OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was at a summit with First Nations leaders on Thursday to listen to their concerns about the government's major projects legislation but almost all of the meeting is being held behind closed doors.
The Assembly of First Nations advocated for the entire meeting to be made public, but the government organizers only permitted the Prime Minister's opening remarks in the room at the 好色tv Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., to be public.
Carney and several of his cabinet ministers met Thursday with hundreds of First Nations leaders about the Building Canada Act, which allows the government to fast track major projects.
"I will say a few words at the start and answer questions at the end but I'm here to listen, engage and move forward from that," Carney told reporters before the meeting began.
He was greeted with cheers as he took the stage Thursday morning to deliver opening remarks.
"The economic value of these projects will be shared with First Nations as partners; it will help build the prosperity of your communities for generations to come," Carney said as he began the meeting.
After he finished making brief remarks, media were escorted out of the room and barred from hearing 好色tv Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak address the hundreds of chiefs gathered, despite her wishes for media to remain present.
Speaking to reporters shortly after her address, Woodhouse Nepinak apologized for having to hold the press conference outside of the museum.
"You should have been in there, and you should have been able to hear my speech," she said.
"You're all invited to (our annual general assembly) in Winnipeg ... We won't kick you out. You're all welcome to stay with us the whole day."
The closed-door meeting was promised in June after chiefs said their rights were not respected by the government pushing the legislation through Parliament. The law was passed, with support from the Conservatives, less than a month after it was introduced.
It allows cabinet to quickly grant federal approvals for big industrial projects that are deemed to be in the national interest by sidestepping existing laws. It also gives cabinet the power to determine which projects are in the national interest.聽
Carney told reporters that Thursday's meeting is the first step in a process.聽
"As we're building our nation, we're building all nations, building together, building in partnership," he said.聽
"Today we'll be talking about building in partnerships with First Nations, in some cases in partnership, in some cases with projects led by First Nations."
He stressed that the law is enabling legislation and the government has not yet identified the national-interest projects it intends to fast track.聽
"Which ones do First Nations, do provinces, do the people of Canada want to move forward on? That takes work," he said.
Many First Nations leaders said Wednesday they have low expectations for the meeting and are warning it should not be seen as the full consultation required on major projects.
When asked if he thinks the government can get consensus from First Nations leaders about how to move forward, Carney said: "Yes I do."
"Everyone wants to make the country better. Everyone wants better opportunities for their children. Everyone want more resources for social services, for health, for education, for community services," he said.
The government plans to hold similar meetings with Inuit and M茅tis leadership in the coming weeks. Carney said he will meet with Inuit leaders in Inuvik, N.W.T. in 10 days time, though a spokeswoman for him later said she could not confirm either that date or location.
He also pledged to launch a regional dialogue with First Nations and further consultation processes going forward.聽
This report by 好色tvwas first published July 17, 2025.
Note to readers:This is a corrected story. An earlier version said the meeting with Inuit leaders in Nunavut.
