London-area Grand Chief slams Ford's 'hat in hand' comments, says apology offers little relief

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 6:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 19

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's apology for controversial comments helium made astir First Nations has small worth unless helium recognizes the humanities and legal context of wherefore galore communities deficiency resources to statesman with, an Indigenous person successful southwestern Ontario says. 

On Thursday, Ford apologized for saying First Nations cannot "keep coming chapeau successful manus to the government" for much wealth if they accidental nary to mining projects. 

"I sincerely apologize for my words — not lone if it wounded each the chiefs successful that room, but each First Nations," Ford said. "I get passionate due to the fact that I privation prosperity for their communities. I privation prosperity for their children and their grandchildren."

His archetypal remarks drew the ire of Joel Abram, Grand Chief of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI), based successful London, who said Ford is "basically calling america beggars" and questions whether he's intentionally being ignorant of Indigenous history. 

"I don't deliberation those remarks are precise fitting successful presumption of humanities discourse and world and there's nary existent spot for those kinds of remarks," said Abram.

"First Nations person ever been down successful presumption of getting near down — and he's right, we should not beryllium asking for handouts due to the fact that we should person a batch much rights than we already bash successful presumption of onshore and resources."

Ford's comments came connected the eve of his gathering with several twelve chiefs who are portion of Anishinabek Nation, representing 39 First Nations successful the province. First Nations person been vocal successful their absorption to the arguable Bill 5 which gives the state powerfulness to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects successful areas it deems to person economical importance. 

First Nation leaders person spoken retired saying the measure tramples their rights and ignores their concerns. However, the authorities said the measure is needed to velocity up ample projects, peculiarly mines, successful the look of U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized war.

Abram said First Nations aren't opposed to the national and provincial governments' urgency to respond and fortify the economy, but it has to beryllium done successful a mode that respects First Nations' pact rights, the situation and the antiauthoritarian process. 

"What Bill 5 and Bill C-5 [the national government's bill] does either intentionally oregon unintentionally is casting First Nations people, erstwhile again, as roadblocks to advancement or not going on with the program," helium said. 

Ford commits to being 'good pact partner'

On Thursday, lasting adjacent to Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige, Ford publically apologized for the wounded his words person caused. 

Debassige told reporters the premier has "owned what helium said" and "corrected himself" for the comment, adding that Ford has besides committed to moving with First Nations arsenic a bully pact partner.

Ford said helium wants to enactment unneurotic with each levels of authorities and First Nations, and helium volition respect pact rights and his work to consult earlier moving up with immoderate large projects. 

"We're going to get done this and we're going to person a large collaboration," helium said. "Without First Nations, we can't get the captious minerals retired of the ground, we can't person the vigor that we request and that the full satellite wants."