Prime Minister Mark Carney used his appearance before the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in Ottawa to announce that his government will hold a joint federal, provincial and territorial First Ministers Meeting with First Nations early in the new year. Carney said indigenous leaders will set the agenda for the gathering, describing it as a major step toward addressing long-standing structural and jurisdictional problems between governments.Speaking to chiefs, elders and delegates, Carney framed his government’s approach around “building” and partnership while admitting that Canada continues to fall short in core areas such as water, housing, land claims and child welfare. Chiefs from across the country pressed him for immediate action and pointed to decades of federal delays that they say have caused harm, deepened mistrust and stalled development..One of the sharpest interventions came from Chief Gary Counsellor of Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario, who reminded the Prime Minister that his community has endured a boil-water advisory for 30 years.He said the failure has already affected multiple generations and remains the longest advisory in Canada. Counsellor said the situation is not the fault of his community but the result of federal capital-asset failures and repeated broken commitments.He asked Carney to fast-track all water and infrastructure work in Neskantaga before any resource development takes place in the surrounding region.Carney agreed that the situation represents a major federal failure. He acknowledged that while the government has lifted 149 drinking-water advisories since 2016, 38 remain in place and some of the longest running ones highlight deeper problems in how Ottawa delivers infrastructure..He said Budget 2025 includes $2.3 billion to address the remaining advisories and promised reforms to speed up delivery, but he also said new structures may be required to prevent further delays.Carney also focused heavily on major project reviews and the federal Build Canada Act. He said that for a project to be designated in the national interest, it must strengthen Canada’s economic resilience, align with climate goals and advance indigenous interests.He cited the proposed Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor in northwestern British Columbia as an example. The concept includes a North Coast transmission line that could link the BC grid with Yukon and Alberta, unlock new mining and LNG projects in partnership with First Nations and create a large conservation area.He clarified that none of the engagement done so far on major project proposals counts as consultation. Under the law, consultation consistent with free, prior and informed consent only begins when a project is formally referred to the Major Projects Office as a potential national-interest designation. He said no projects have reached that stage yet..BC leaders responded by reminding Carney that the AFN chiefs had unanimously affirmed the North Coast Declaration and rejected any new pipeline routes to the BC coast earlier that morning. Regional Chief Terry Teegee asked Carney whether he would respect the direction of rights and title holders and commit to true decision-making authority for First Nations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples.He also pushed for meetings to address issues such as specific claims research funding, child welfare reform, racism in provincial systems and the impact of the Trans Mountain pipeline on First Nations lands.From Quebec, Chief Lisa Robinson of Wolf Lake First Nation said her community is recognized by Canada but treated “as though we do not exist on our own land” because Ottawa has failed for decades to complete the reserve creation process..She argued that federal departments can streamline approvals for billion-dollar projects but remain mired in outdated bureaucracy when dealing with First Nations land. She asked Carney to order departments to prioritize and resolve Wolf Lake’s land base once and for all.Carney said he agreed that federal departments often work in silos and that cases like Wolf Lake point to the need for institutional reform.He said a restructured government-transformation department is examining delivery failures across departments and that Ottawa must be more efficient on small files if it expects trust on larger ones. He warned that some reforms will take time but said they are necessary.Carney also highlighted spending for indigenous housing, including a new Build Canada Homes agency that he said will work with First Nations to accelerate affordable housing construction through factory-built methods..He pointed to $2.8 billion for off-reserve indigenous housing and $1.7 billion for on-reserve housing in Budget 2025. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to reforming child and family services so that First Nations children can grow up connected to their families, cultures and languages.Carney closed by saying that trust must be earned through “sustained action over time” and that the upcoming First Ministers Meeting will be a major test of whether governments can deliver meaningful structural change. Many chiefs said the same, noting that they have heard commitments before but will judge the government by results, not promises.
