Federal Court - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure Developments ...

Page: 257
all of its commitments. There is no indication that the Minister disputed either assertion. The
documents in Exhibit D-11 were entered for the truth and accuracy of their contents.
[980] I am satisfied, on a balance of probabilities and having regard to the evidence before me,
that in the meeting of November 14, 2001, with representatives of the forest industry in Whitehorse,
Minister Nault admitted that a promise had been made to supply wood if a mill was built. I find that
2010 FC 495 (CanLII)
Minister Nault admitted that a promise had been made. The transcript, entered as Exhibit P-79, Tab
357, shows the following exchange between Minister Nault and Mr. Peterson, the owner of another
Watson Lake sawmill:
Peterson: We didn’t roll into town and fall off a turnip truck, thinking
that we were going to get tenure just because we built a saw mill. We
were told we would get tenure if we had a saw mill there.
Nault: I know you were.
[981] In a later exchange at that meeting and recorded in the same transcript, Minister Nault says:
Nault: But I can’t live with the argument that we’re putting the
squeeze on the industry so bad that there is no industry; because if
we’d have done that, we should have done that five years ago. We
should have just said, “Forget it, guys. Don’t come around here and
spend all this money, because we’re not have an industry.” But is
seems to me so far we’re almost suggesting there’s not going to be an
industry but not really telling you straight up.
[982] I have two observations about the remarks of Mr. Nault, as recorded at the meeting held on
November 14, 2001.