Sustainability

"Aboriginal peoples of Canada already possess the assets they need to make a sustainable treaty economy. These assets are held in defective administrative forms by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Moreover, these governments take most of the tax revenue and all the surplus value. Treaty beneficiaries need to rethink Canada and take on the world, rediscovering and unleashing the economic potential in the treaty economy to create sustainable development and sustainable communities."

"Almost a decade after the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP, 1996) - an international decade dedicated by the United Nations to Indigenous People - it is timely to reflect on the state of the Aboriginal economy, on what has been achieved in Aboriginal economic development, how success is measured, and what barriers persist.

"At one level, the story of Membertou First Nation is inspirational. But, this paper identifies some of the unique challenges and barriers faced by First Nations people pursuing opportunities as entrepreneurs. Challenges include issues of political stability; the need to respect the value placed upon community, conservation and sustainability by the culture the limited access to traditional sources of capital and other possible barriers.

"One of the limitations of economic development - with its emphasis on unlimited growth - is that it is pursued without any considerations as to its implications on ecosystems. The prevailing economic theories treat the economic process from a purely mechanistic standpoint. Different ways exist, however, to deal with the choices that humans have to make with respect to the allocation of resources, the distribution of its returns and the fulfilment of purposes of material progress.

"This case study uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine Inuit and First Nations perspectives and initiatives to foster sustainable entrepreneurship and economic development related to the forthcoming Mackenzie Gas Pipeline in Canada's Northwest Territories. The 1,220-kilometer pipeline will connect the Mackenzie Delta to the Alberta Oil Sands and North American markets. These findings will be of interest to business, government and Indigenous leaders involved in resource development.

If you create technology that deals with climate change issues, clean air, clean water or soil quality, you could get funding to cover up to 33% of the costs involved in developing and testing your product.

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) is Canada's legislated, publicly accessible inventory of pollutant releases (to air, water and land), disposals and transfers for recycling.

Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) measure the progress of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, report to Canadians on the state of the environment, and describe Canada’s progress on key environmental sustainability issues. The indicators, built on rigorous methodology, are added and updated as new, high quality data become available.

A review of national wood supply versus that which has been harvested since 1990 and an assessment of what is deemed sustainable timber harvest, providing insight on the health of the timber industry.

This workshop has been developed in response to the overwhelming interest in New Brunswick concerning the development and sustainable management of non-timber forest products. This project outlines potential products, focusing upon the primary resource and suggest appropriate sustainable harvesting and management guidelines. This project is intended for private woodlot owners and the general public.