Indigenous Consultation In 2019: An Outlook For Project Proponents

In taking stock of their large projects in Canada and considering what 2019 will hold, many proponents will likely focus on their project's consultation with Indigenous peoples.

This consultation can be critical to the success of a project for many reasons, including:

• reaping the benefits of creating a "win-win" scenario where both the proponent and any potentially affected Indigenous people want the project to proceed and thrive for its lifetime;
• ensuring the proponent's consultation team, project management team and board of directors are all aligned with an accurate view on consultation; and/or
• reducing the risk that the issuances of approvals are delayed or denied by a government or successfully challenged on judicial review.