The Voice of Canada News:

Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement following a successful meeting with Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations:

“It was an honour to meet with the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Perry Bellegarde, and discuss our shared priorities, including economic development, respecting the rights of Indigenous parents and working towards reconciliation.

“On a personal note, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the findings in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This ongoing tragedy is a national shame and a clear call to action for every leader in this country to do more, and I reassured the Chief today that we will.

“We also discussed the Chief’s ongoing campaign on Bill C-92 and his ongoing fight to ensure that the rights of Indigenous parents are respected. The terrible legacy of residential schools is still with us today and supporting Indigenous parents will remain a key priority.

“For our government, Open for Business and Open for Jobs means open to everyone. For too long, Indigenous people have missed out on economic opportunities. I was particularly interested in discussing the potential opportunities in revenue resource sharing with the National Chief, and what we can do to ensure everyone benefits from economic development. 

“Our government is proud to work with Chief Bellegarde, and with all of our Indigenous partners, to bring prosperity to every region and every community in Ontario. I look forward to discussing these and many other topics important to Indigenous people in Ontario next month at the Summer Meeting of Canada’s Premiers in Saskatoon.”