NAHO Fosters Dialogue on Health Impacts of Resource Extraction in the North

NEWS RELEASE
March 18, 2008
For Immediate Release

OTTAWA, ON —Participants at a roundtable on the health effects of resource extraction in the North are calling for more research to look into the impacts that such development has on the well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) organized the roundtable to foster a dialogue about the benefits and challenges of resource extractive development on the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

The three-day event, entitled Exploring Community-Based Responses to Resource Extractive Development in Northern Canada, was held from March 5 to 7, 2008 in Ottawa.

Roundtable participants came up with a number of suggestions for how to counteract some of the negative impacts of such development. Of highest priority was the need for more research to fully understand the extent of the problem.

The northern regions of Canada have large depositories of natural resources, including minerals, oil and gas. Resource extraction projects, and the population increases that they bring, put strains on existing social, health and recreational services as well as strains on community infrastructure and on traditional values and cultures. With development, however, also comes prospects of an improved standard of living, new training opportunities, new businesses and valuable work experience for Aboriginal communities.

“The participants of the roundtable told us quite clearly that more research is needed,” said Paulette Tremblay, CEO of NAHO. “The current push to develop the North can have both positive and negative impacts upon northern Aboriginal communities, but we need more information before we can begin to take advantage of the opportunities without incurring significant costs to our health and well-being.”

Other recommendations from the roundtable included:

• The need for a long-term plan to support effective management of resource extraction opportunities, while addressing the challenges of such activities in the North.
• More dialogue between the different sectors (health, economic, political) involved in development.
• The creation of a network that would enable Aboriginal communities and regions to share their experiences with each other with regard to resource extraction development.

The National Aboriginal Health Organization is an Aboriginal-designed and -controlled body that works to influence and advance the health and well-being of Aboriginal Peoples through knowledge-based strategies.

For media inquiries, contact:
James Sinclair
Communications Officer
Toll-free: 1-877-602-4445 ext. 559
Direct: (613) 237-9462 ext. 559
E-mail: jsinclair@naho.ca

For more information, visit:
http://www.naho.ca/