The ongoing Robinson-Huron Treaty annuities case has been put on hold for the next two weeks to allow all parties to come to the table for settlement discussions.
The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund states former senator Murray Sinclair will serve as a mediator between the parties while the court proceedings are adjourned with details being kept confidential.
There are 21 First Nations, including Nipissing First Nation, currently involved in litigation with Canada and Ontario.
Stage Three, the final stage, will deal with the amount of compensation owed to beneficiaries under the treaty and which Crowns will be liable to pay the augmented annuities.
Meanwhile, the hearing for Ontario’s Supreme Court appeal of the Stage One decision — which ruled in favour of treaty beneficiaries — is anticipated to take place this fall with a decision expected in 2024.
Under the original language of the treaty itself, annual treaty payments to beneficiaries were supposed to increase as resource revenues within Robinson-Huron Treaty territory increased.
Treaty annuities increased in 1874 from $1.60 to $4 but haven’t increased since.
Robinson-Huron Treaty leadership has been calling on both governments to reach a negotiated outcome to the annuities case.
***With files from Rosalind Russell