Ontario Mining Company Returns Land to First Nation

When a mining company actually listens to Indigenous concerns and walks away from valuable land, that's not just good business. It's a blueprint for real reconciliation.

Landore Resources Canada Inc. withdrew its application to renew a mining lease on the Seeley property after Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation) explained the area's cultural significance. The land sits in the Thunder Bay district, part of the First Nation's traditional territory located 300 kilometers northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

"If you want true reconciliation with First Nations, that is the kind of thing you do: you give land back," said Chief Duncan Michano. His community of 450 people isn't opposed to development, but certain sacred areas are off limits.

The decision comes as Ontario pushes hard for mining development in the north, particularly in the Ring of Fire region. Many First Nations have pushed back against those plans, saying the government hasn't properly consulted them.

Biigtigong Nishnaabeg took a different approach with Landore. They built a relationship over years, not battles. The company previously returned land in the Coldwell area, a historic fishing village where community members traditionally lived, after initially staking a claim there.

"You can't always be fighting," Michano explained. "You gotta try to make them understand why it's a good thing to return the land." Private citizens even returned land to the community last summer.

CEO Debi Bouchie emphasized the importance of early dialogue. "Don't do it in absence of us," she said about including First Nations in development conversations from the start.

The Ripple Effect

The approach offers a working model for other companies and governments. Michano described it as a trade off: "You stay off the land that we don't want developed and we'll support you in areas where we feel it's OK to have development."

In 2020, Ontario placed a notice alerting the mining industry to Aboriginal title claims in the region. Four years later, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg issued a public notice identifying areas where mineral development would harm the community.

The relationship proves that economic development and respect for Indigenous sovereignty don't have to be at odds. The earlier those conversations happen, the better for everyone involved.

When companies prioritize relationships over resources, everyone wins.