Treaty Negotiations Update

The Algonquins of Ontario Settlement Area includes a territory of nine million acres within the watersheds of the Kichi-Sìbì[1] and the Mattawa River in Ontario.

This unceded territory, encompasses most of Eastern Ontario, including the City of Ottawa, and most of Algonquin Provincial Park. More than 1.2 million people live and work within the unceded AOO Settlement Area. There are 84 municipal jurisdictions fully and partially located within the unceded AOO Settlement Area, including 75 lower and single tier municipalities and nine upper tier municipalities.

On October 18, 2016, the Algonquins of Ontario and the Governments of Ontario and Canada reached a major milestone in their journey toward reconciliation and renewed relationships with the signing of the Agreement-in-Principle (AIP). The signing of the AIP is a key step toward a Final Agreement, which will clarify the rights of all concerned and open up new economic development opportunities for the benefit of the AOO and their neighbours in the Settlement Area in Eastern Ontario.

Furthermore, by signing the AIP, the AOO and the Crown have expressed, in a formal way, their mutual intention and desire for a lasting partnership. This event signaled the beginning of a new relationship between the AOO and the Crown, one in which the mistakes of the past must be supplanted by a new type of mutual respect and cooperation.

The AIP is not a legally binding document. Rather, it opens the way for continued negotiations toward a Final Agreement that will define the ongoing rights of the AOO to lands and natural resources within the Settlement Area in Eastern Ontario. To learn more about the Agreement-in-Principle, click here.

Since the signing of the Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) in 2016, the Algonquins of Ontario and the Governments of Ontario and Canada have continued to advance negotiations towards a Final Agreement.

If a Final Agreement is achieved through this next phase, and if it is ratified by Algonquins and by the federal Parliament and provincial Legislature, it will take the form of a modern-day treaty setting out Algonquin Aboriginal and treaty rights protected under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

October 2020 Update

Land has long been recognized as the source of strength and the basis of Nationhood. An appropriate Algonquin land base will provide Algonquin people with the opportunities to exercise our ongoing relationship with Mother Earth, protect cultural, environmental and historically significant areas and provide support for economic development and the provision of job opportunities for Algonquins for seven generations to come.

As a component of the ongoing negotiations, there have been some changes to the package of provincial Crown lands proposed for future transfer to the Algonquins of Ontario. To see the  proposed changes view the Reference Maps below or the Algonquins of Ontario Interactive Map here.

These Reference Maps depict information related to the following three categories of Provincial Crown Lands:

  1. Proposed Settlement Lands are Crown lands to be transferred to Algonquin ownership in fee simple title.
  2. Other Areas of Algonquin Interest are Crown lands that will continue to be administered and controlled by the Government of Ontario but in which Algonquin Interests will be protected, including access, cultural, spiritual, historical and environmental interests. These Crown lands include Crown Land Management Agreements, Crown Lands with First Right of Refusal and Crown Land Easements.
  3. Recommended Provincial Park/Provincial Park Additions are Crown lands which will become Provincial Parks.

Note: Click here to view our interactive web-based map.

[1] The Ottawa River, otherwise known as the Big River or Kichi-Sìbì, has also been referred to in the Algonquin language as “Kichisipi”, “Kichissippi”, “Kitchissippi” and “Kichisippi”