Former national chief calls for list of demands as PM, premiers talk infrastructure

By Alessia Passafiume The former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling for an emergency meeting of chiefs to come up with demands for Canada’s governments as they look to fast-track projects they see as in the “national interest.” Phil Fontaine said the federal, provincial and territorial governments are trying to demolish First Nations rights and interests as they move to accelerate project approvals in a way that does not “honour the First Peoples.” “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a gathering such as this one — a rally — to demonstrate our undying commitment to the protection of the land and our resources and our water,” Fontaine said in front of hundreds of protesters outside Queen’s Park on Monday. First Nations leaders gathered…

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