Ottawa, On (May 14, 2009) - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians, is pleased to announce that legislation modernizing the Indian Oil and Gas Act received Royal Assent today. The amendments to the Act will allow the Government of Canada to better fulfill its obligation to manage oil and gas resources on reserve lands.
"Passage of Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Indian Oil and Gas Act, introduces important legislative changes that will enable us to better respond to the dramatic transformation in the oil and gas industry over the past few decades," said Minister Strahl. "I would like to thank the Indian Resource Council for their collaboration on these long overdue changes and for their steadfast commitment to serving the interests of First Nations with oil and gas resources."
With passage of the bill into law, the Government of Canada is eliminating the regulatory gap that exists between on-reserve and off-reserve oil and gas activities. By bringing federal legislation in line with similar legislation in the provinces, the new law will create a more transparent and efficient regime for oil and gas operations on reserve lands, thereby encouraging industry investment and economic development in First Nation communities.
The Government of Canada worked in co-operation with the Indian Resource Council, a First Nations organization that advocates on behalf of First Nations with oil and gas resources, to develop the amendments to the Act.
The Indian Oil and Gas Act was passed in 1974 and has not substantially changed since that time. It is used to help the federal government manage oil and gas resources on First Nation reserve lands across Canada, generally south of the 60th parallel. Indian Oil and Gas Canada is the regulating body of the Indian Oil and Gas Act and is a special operating agency within Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl
Nina Chiarelli
Press Secretary
(819) 997-0002
Indian Oil and Gas Canada
Kelsy Uhryn
(403) 292-6369
Media Relations
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
819-953-1160
