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The Land Claims Agreements Coalition (LCAC) welcomes the reintroduction of federal legislation to establish a Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation (the Commissioner), introduced in the House of Commons on September 25, 2025.
A Bill to establish the Commissioner was originally introduced into the House of Commons in October, last year. However, the Bill died on the Order Paper when Parliament was dissolved in March. Following the 2025 election, the LCAC called for the legislation to be reintroduced.
The proposed Commissioner will be an independent office reporting directly to Parliament on Canada’s effectiveness in implementing modern treaties and meeting its modern treaty obligations. This new oversight body is the result of more than two decades of advocacy by the LCAC and its members, working in partnership with Canada to co-develop this critical accountability tool.
“This is a historic step forward for reconciliation and accountability,” said Eva Clayton, President of the Nisga’a Nation and a Co-Chair of LCAC. “The Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation is a vital tool to ensure that these constitutionally protected agreements are fully honoured and that the promises made to our Nations are kept. We are pleased that the federal government has introduced Bill C-10 so early in its mandate.”
“It is good to see this step being taken,” said Jeremy Tunraluk, the President of Nunavut Tunngavik and Co-Chair of LCAC. “We have had so many problems in ensuring the full implementation of our Modern Treaties over the years. The establishment of this new office will assist us in ensuring the effective implementation of our agreements. This is critical for the process of reconciliation.”
The LCAC urges all Members of Parliament to work together to pass this legislation without delay to help in ensuring that modern treaties are fully implemented in the spirit and intent with which they were signed.
About the LCAC:
Formed in 2003, the LCAC brings together the majority of Indigenous Modern Treaty Partners in Canada, working to ensure that treaties are respected, honoured, and fully implemented. To date, 26 modern treaties have been concluded.
Modern treaties cover about 45% of Canada’s land and sea mass, 80% of the North’s land mass, and well over two thirds of Canada’s coastline including adjacent marine shipping routes. They are constitutionally protected agreements that define land and resource rights, advance reconciliation, and support economic and cultural well-being.