A Message from Chief and Council

Friday, January 22, 2010
COMMUNITY ADVISORY

Dear Community Members,
The Court of Appeal for Ontario released a decision today against Rama First Nation in the 35% Revenue Sharing case. The court ruled that the 35% funds currently held in escrow should be shared among Ontario First Nations.

“We are very surprised and disappointed with the decision,” said Chief Sharon Stinson Henry. “We believe that we have a solid and well prepared case. We intend to review this decision and determine how to proceed. Our main concern has always been to ensure a fair decision for our community in view of all the work and sacrifice made in hosting Casino Rama.”

The Chippewas of Rama First Nation will consider all options before responding to the decision by the Court of Appeal for Ontario regarding the 35% Casino Rama Revenue Sharing issue.

“Rama First Nation is very proud of the Casino Rama revenue sharing contributions made to the 133 First Nation communities throughout Ontario. We believe that our community is also entitled to receive fair compensation for the responsibilities and challenges of having Casino Rama in our community.”

Please be assured that Chief and Council will work with legal counsel to protect our community’s interest. In the meantime, it is business as usual. We are confident in our community’s continued success through plans for economic diversification.

We will provide our members with more information as it is available. For further inquiries, you may contact any member of Chief and Council.