Federal law handicaps Barrière Lake

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The Algonquin community of Barrière Lake is voicing its frustration with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, saying the federal government and its appointed third-party financial overseer is withholding information that is necessary to complete documentation required by the new law.

According to the Globe and Mail, close to 50 First Nations were unable to meet the November deadline to declare their annual expenses under the law, resulting in withdrawal of federal funding for administration and economic development expenses.

Chief Casey Ratt argues that his community 230 kilometres north of Ottawa was unable to meet the requirement because Human and Natural Resources Canada and the Quebec government did not share data detailing how government funds were disbursed in the community during the last fiscal year. 

Algonquin First Nation lawyer Katherine Hensel said that letters to Atmacinta Hartel Financial Management Corp. have gone unanswered. She also wrote to the federal Aboriginal Affairs department outlining “numerous failures” by the Canadian government and the management company in regard to their obligations to Barrière Lake.

The community’s finances were put under third-party management by the federal government several years after conflict erupted over who was its legitimate chief.

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