MSIFN says Pickering MoU is not support for northeast development

The Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation has clarified that its memorandum of understanding with the City of Pickering does not signal support for the northeast Pickering secondary plan or for development in northeast Pickering, Durham Post reports.

The clarification came in a statement issued after Pickering announced the MoU in late September. MSIFN said the MoU is an interim framework toward a long-term consultation protocol for future city decisions and studies that may affect its Aboriginal and treaty rights.

"The MoU should not be interpreted as MSIFN support for the northeast Pickering secondary plan or for development in northeast Pickering," the statement said, adding that MSIFN "continues to maintain its concerns and legal positions regarding the secondary plan."

MSIFN said the agreement is about ensuring the First Nation is not an afterthought in discussions about decisions that may affect its treaty and Aboriginal rights to land, and that it does not change its concerns about the secondary plan.