Lakehead’s Ring of Fire Conference to Focus on Urgent Issues
October 28, 2015 – Thunder Bay, ON
Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law is hosting a Ring of Fire conference on Friday, Oct. 30 that will examine sustainable development, the duty to consult, and community impact.
A Law professor, a Geology professor, and a law student will moderate the discussions.
“This conference seeks to build upon the success of last year's conference focusing on the future of Aboriginal law in Canada,” said Lakehead Law Professor Jason MacLean, who will be one of the moderators and presenters.
“We will explore the three most urgent issues at the intersection of Indigenous rights, the environment, and the economy: the prospects for sustainable development; the meaning and local application of the duty to consult; and Indigenous community impacts,” MacLean said.
Three expert panels comprised of representatives from Indigenous communities, government, industry, and academia will examine these issues.
“We hope the conference will generate a candid and constructive discussion among the region's stakeholders about how to sustainably develop our natural resources,” MacLean said.
“Universities play a key role in facilitating inclusive and respectful debates and discussions regarding our most pressing public policy issues, and that's exactly what we're hoping to achieve with the Ring of Fire conference.”
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law has partnered with Lakehead’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration (CESME) to offer the conference.
Conference registration is open to everyone. Participation is free but registration is required. Space is limited. The event runs all day at the PACI building.
For more information and to register, please visit the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law web page (law.lakeheadu.ca) and click on the Ring of Fire Conference calendar event.
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Media: For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177, or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.
In 2015, Lakehead University will celebrate 50 years of exceptional education. Guided by its Strategic Plan (2013-2018), Lakehead is known for providing an education focused on independent thinking, unconventional scholarship, and a close sense of community. About 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work in ten faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies.
Maclean’s 2015 University Rankings places Lakehead University 2nd in Ontario and among Canada’s Top 10 undergraduate universities, and 1st among Ontario’s undergraduate universities for Total Research Dollars, Social Sciences & Humanities Grants, and Library Expenses. In 2015, Re$earch Infosource ranked Lakehead first among Canada’s undergraduate universities.
Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.