Canada is expected to present a settlement offer this week to First Nations of Robinson Superior treaty territory in a longstanding case involving annuities owed to the Anishinaabe on the northern shores of the Great Lakes.
Once the offer expected Friday is received, it’ll kick off negotiations to partially settle a claim that dates back to 1999 and could be worth dozens of billions of dollars.
Lawyers for the Robinson Superior communities anticipate Ontario will make its own offer sometime around the new year, as a deadline imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada looms over the two Crown governments.
In its landmark decision earlier in June, the top court told the federal and provincial governments that they had until Jan. 26 to make offers.
According to the ruling, the First Nations could request an extension, but Canada and Ontario cannot.
“We’ll hold the Crown’s feet to the fire here …