The following statement was issued today by Tom Rideout, Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Effective date for the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement

I rise today in this Honourable House to advise members that this Thursday, December 1, marks the effective date of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, and to congratulate the Labrador Inuit on this momentous occasion.

Many changes will be triggered by the effective date. It will have an impact on the people and businesses throughout Labrador, and I encourage anyone who may be impacted by this agreement to become informed on what it will mean for them. Most importantly, the Nunatsiavut Government will officially come into being, representing a new governing structure for the Labrador Inuit.

The Labrador Inuit have waited almost 30 years for this day, and it will mark a new era in Labrador. Having this land claims agreement come into effect will give the Labrador Inuit more control over their own affairs. The agreement sets out a new regime for land ownership, resource sharing and self-government, including Inuit ownership of 15,800 square kilometers of land to be known as Labrador Inuit Lands. This is where the Nunatsiavut Government will exercise most of its powers.

The date will also mark the formal establishment of the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve of Canada under the Canada National Parks Act. This park consists of approximately 9,600 square kilometres.

The Nunatsiavut Government will also have jurisdiction over language and culture, and this will enable the Inuit to preserve and promote Inuktitut as the language of everyday life and to develop an education system in which Inuktitut and English are languages of instruction. This will provide the Inuit with further opportunities to prosper and grow.

The Labrador Inuit Association, as well as the governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, have worked very diligently and cooperatively to make this day a reality. In May 2004, the Labrador Inuit voted on this agreement and the support was both overwhelming and definitive. Approximately 85 per cent of eligible went to the polls and 76 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in favour of the agreement.

A day of ceremony is planned for December 1 in Nain and I look forward to attending along with the Premier, ministers Shelley and Osborne, opposition members, and Aboriginal and community leaders.

On December 1, the face of Labrador and the province will be forever changed. I ask my Honourable colleagues to join with me in congratulating the Labrador Inuit as they celebrate this momentous day in their history.

2005 11 29 1:55 p.m.