Government of Saskatchewan

• VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE) (NYSE: NXE) (ASX: NXG) is pleased to announce that it has received Ministerial approval under The Environmental Assessment Act of Saskatchewan to proceed with the development of its 100%-owned Rook I Project (the "Project").
• NexGen is the first company in more than 20 years to receive full Provincial Environmental Assessment approval for a uranium project in Saskatchewan.
• Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The achievement of this major milestone of Provincial Environmental Assessment approval for Rook I is key in meeting the surging global demand for ethically sourced uranium.
• With Provincial EA approval now in place, NexGen has submitted all responses to the Federal technical review of the Rook I Project Environmental Impact Statement and eagerly look forward to the completion of the Federal EA approval process."

• The Government of Saskatchewan announced its revised framework for consultation with First Nation and Métis communities in August 2023.
• This framework sets out the provincial government’s latest approach to fulfilling its constitutional duty to consult and accommodate Indigenous Peoples.
• Some Canadian jurisdictions are making efforts to break away from colonial mentalities by developing policies in true partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

Sticking with the status quo

• Timelines have been tweaked, a new chart has been added and a central role for the Ministry of Government Relations has been clarified.
• Yet stepping back from the minutiae, the provincial government’s approach to Indigenous consultation largely preserves the status quo — a standard that is out-of-step with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and broader trends in Canadian and international law.
• It also fails to acknowledge or make any concessions to the distinct perspectives of the Indigenous Peoples of this land.

Leaving it up to the courts

• But the framework purports to serve a more ambitious goal: facilitating “mutually beneficial relationships” with Indigenous Peoples.
• Case law and legal precedent reflect specific disputes based on the specific facts that give rise to them.
• When it comes to the duty to consult and accommodate, the courts define the minimum legal standards within which other branches of government must operate.
• Courts cannot and will not design the laws and policies that are required for a positive, just political relationship.
• It is up to the federal and provincial governments to work with Indigenous Peoples to build a harmonious relationship or miyo-wîcêhtowin.

Implementing UNDRIP

• The case law it relies on shifts and the policy itself can be challenged before the courts.
• For example, the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan is actively challenging the policy’s restriction against consultation on Aboriginal title claims.
• Saskatchewan can follow B.C.’s lead by negotiating nation-specific, consent-based processes in line with UNDRIP.
• UNDRIP reflects key principles of customary international law, which are directly binding in Canadian courts and therefore highly relevant to Canadian policymaking.

• Restaurants Canada was encouraged to learn the budget contained no new taxes or tax increases, which provides the industry with some stability.
• Unfortunately, it does not provide any substantial cost relief for the struggling foodservice industry.
• The budget was also a missed opportunity for the provincial government to address a number of operational challenges impacting Saskatchewan’s beleaguered restaurant sector.
• Restaurants Canada looks forward to continuing to work alongside the Saskatchewan government to keep local businesses, and specifically those within foodservice, alive.

• SINGAPORE, Feb. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and Universities Canada concluded a successful Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2023) in Singapore on February 23, 2023.
• This first-of-its-kind event gathered Canada-connected individuals and organizations from across Asia to catalyze a new phase of Canada-Asia engagement.
• The first CIAC program combined keynote and inter‑disciplinary plenary sessions, high-level thematic panel discussions, strategic networking opportunities, and an evening gala.
• “Great conversations took place, and many new connections were formed amongst global leaders and Canadian university alumni in Asia.