MANDATE
 
1. To carry out due diligence on all development matters that are in the interest of the Mikisew Cree in a manner that allows for sound decision-making;

2. To consult with the membership on industrial development matters that impact the community and Mikisew Cree traditional lands;

3. To consult with resource developers and operators to achieve 1 and 2;

4. To build long-term relationships with developers and operators where these relationships are deemed by the membership to result in mutually beneficial benefits and mitigation of impacts;

5. To build capacity within the First Nation, ensuring the Mikisew Cree membership participate equally in regional development.

 
IRC DOCUMENTS

Mikisew Cree Submission to the Alberta Government''''s Oil
Sands Strategy Multi-stakeholder Committee
The Mikisew Cree was requested to comment on the report produced by the Multi-Stakeholder Committee (MSC). The paper articulates the Mikisew Cree''''s reaction and response to the visions, strategies and actions proposed by the MSC in its report. The first few sections describe the historical context that has underlined the Mikisew Cree''''s long-standing perspective regarding resource development, recognition and accommodation of Treaty and Aboriginal rights, and environmental stewardship. Concerns asserted by the Mikisew Cree at recent AEUB joint hearings for several oil sands applications are then discussed to highlight specific concerns and to reinforce the gravity of oil sands impacts on the First Nation''''s lands, culture, and people. This is followed by a discussion of First Nation concerns about the process for developing Alberta''''s Oil Sands Strategy and by specific Mikisew Cree responses to the MSC visions, strategies, and actions. The paper concludes with recommendations to government on important and necessary measures to adequately manage oil sands development in this region of Alberta. Read more of Mikisew Cree''''s submission

 
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Alberta Environment''''s proposed "towards environmental sustainability" framework
The Government of Alberta is developing a new environmental regulatory framework.   It has developed a policy paper that describes a new approach to enable sustainable development by addressing the cumulative effects of development on the environment. The paper includes a proposal for new legislation to enable the framework. Read more about the framework

Alberta Environment & DFO joint IFN framework
The Framework represents a joint effort by Alberta Environment (AENV) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that lays out a procedure for management of oilsands water withdrawals.

Alberta Government Aboriginal Consultation on Oil Sands development
The following report describes the background of Alberta''''s Oil Sands Consultations initiative, how consultation was undertaken with each group, feedback received during the consultation process, the full versions of recommendations that First Nations and Métis would like to put forward to the Ministers for consideration, and Alberta''''s next steps for further consultations with First Nations and Métis.

 
INDUSTRY NEWS

ATCO Electric
Project: Third Lake Power Plant
The new diesel fired power plant will serve the community of Fort Chipewyan. It will be located 6 kilometers north of Fort Chipewyan and the capacity of this power plant will be 4,720 kW.

EnCana
Project: Borealis
Located 90 kilometers northeast of Fort McMurray, the EnCana Borealis project is expected to produce 35,000 barrels per day over a 25 year period. The extraction method will be Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and currently EnCana is doing environmental assessments and public consultation.

Shell Energy
Project: Carmon Creek
This project will be located in the Peace River region and represents an in-situ operation, utilizing a new technology called horizontal cyclic steam stimulation. The project will require water withdrawals from the Peace River with no discharge of any type.

Petro-Canada
Project: Fort Hills
Originally approved in 2002, the Fort Hills project is expected to be fully operational by 2015.   Operations is expected to produce 280,000 barrels of synthetic crude daily using the SAGD method.   The location of the Fort Hills project is 90 kilometers north of Fort McMurray.

Husky Energy
Project: Sunrise Thermal Amendment
Husky is preparing to initiate construction of its Sunrise Thermal Project. Husky has filed an amendment application because there were some major changes made from the initial project design. The Mikisew Cree IRC and Husky are discussing issues of concern associated with the amendment.