Saskatchewan’s NDP Opposition is calling on the province to put a hold on all applications for timber harvesting until in-person consultations can be done with affected trappers.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, forestry companies have moved to doing these consultations virtually.
However, Athabasca MLA Buckley Belanger says this doesn’t work for northern Saskatchewan trappers, many of who don’t have access to the internet or even a computer.
In a letter to Minister of Energy and Resources Bronwyn Eyre, Belanger says it is imperative that the government follow its duty to consult obligations by not moving forward on these applications until in-person consultations can be done.
No one from the Saskatchewan government was immediately available for comment.
(PHOTO: Athabasca NDP MLA Buckley Belanger. File photo.)