BRANDON — Garton’s Auction Services, the Dauphin-based company hired by the province to run Crown land rental sales, has not been told to pause upcoming auctions, its owner says — despite calls from an Indigenous organization to halt all such activity until it’s consulted.
Leases and permits that provide access to additional land base for agricultural purposes are put up for auction by the Manitoba government annually. Next week, several properties will be available to rent for haying, grazing or cropping.
Jerry Daniels, grand chief of Southern Chiefs’ Organization, which represents 34 First Nations in Manitoba, has lobbied the province about the issue for over a year.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Jerry Daniels, grand chief of Southern Chiefs’ Organization, which represents 34 First Nations in Manitoba, has lobbied the province about the issue for over a year.
First Nations with treaty rights and entitlement are required to receive first option to acquire public land that comes up for sale, he said in a news release Thursday. Many Crown land parcels are prime sources for hunting, harvesting natural medicine and holding ceremonies, the SCO said.
“We have every right to have input into what was stolen from us,” Daniels said, claiming when Heather Stefanson became premier in November 2021, she assured him the Crown auction process would change.
“When I learned that more Crown lands are to be auctioned off, without first consulting us, it really has me questioning the premier’s authenticity and commitment to working with First Nations people.”
A spokesperson for the Manitoba government said in a Thursday evening email: “Reconciliation is a top priority for our government… We can confirm the treaty land entitlement consultation process was followed, noting that less than 50 per cent of the parcels up for auction are subject to the treaty land entitlement process. Per that process, notice was given to First Nations within the TLE community interest zone, 120 days in advance and 30 days online notice with list of parcels.”
“Our government is committed to ongoing dialogue with First Nations leadership regarding resource management and the use and allocation of Crown lands,” the spokesperson said.
Garton’s Auction Services owner Larry Garton said even though Daniels named his company in the release and requested it pause any upcoming auction activity, he hadn’t heard from the SCO directly.
“We’re hired by the province to (auction) to a third party, so anything like that would have to be directed towards (Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson),” Garton said. “This is the third year in a row for this auction.”
The province signed the Manitoba Framework Agreement on Treaty Land Entitlement in 1997, which says that more than one million acres of land would be transferred to First Nations.
The federal government’s treaty land establishment website states Ottawa is working with First Nations in Manitoba to meet outstanding treaty land entitlement obligations.
— Brandon Sun
