Elsipogtog First Nation to benefit from new school, water system upgrades and other infrastructure and economic development projects

Other projects include new and renovated housing, a new treatment centre and support for the expansion of a seafood processing plant.

ELSIPOGTOG FIRST NATION, UNCEDED TRADITIONAL MI'KMAQ TERRITORY, NB, Aug. 28, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada is committed to working together with First Nations communities to invest in on-reserve infrastructure that supports the well-being of their members.

Today, the Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Minister of Indigenous Services, toured Elsipogtog First Nation with Chief Arren Sock and council to discuss infrastructure projects that are currently underway or completed in the community.

A new K 4-8 school, expected to open in 2021, will provide students with a modern facility to support their learning goals. The facility will include a library, tech/computer room, cultural and distance learning center, innovation room, two learning resource rooms, a lunch/multipurpose room, kitchen/canteen and a gymnasium. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is investing close to $26 million in this project.

Water system upgrades, expected to be completed by the end of this summer, will provide the community with improved water quality and reliability. ISC is investing $5.9 million in this project.

Since 2016, three multi-unit homes, three single family homes, and renovations for 16 housing units have been built or completed. ISC invested $2.5 million for improved housing in the community.

Design work to modernize the Lone Eagle Treatment Centre is starting soon. The upgraded facility, expected to open in late 2021, will enable the treatment centre to expand its programs to provide land-based healing, residential programing, day programing and outreach. The centre will also explore the implementation of the Two Eyed Seeing approach, which marries a Western medical model with traditional healing practices.

ISC is investing $1 million, through the Community Opportunity Readiness Program, in Elsipogtog First Nation's community-owned snow crab processing plant, McGraw Seafood Inc., to help with the expansion of the current plant into a multi-species year-round operation. Steelhead, redfish and bait processing lines will be added to the plant operations and snow crab capacity and yield will be increased through technological improvements.

Overall, ISC is investing more than $35 million in Elsipogtog First Nation to support quality education, safe and reliable drinking water, and the health and safety of community members.

Quotes

"The health and well-being of Elsipgotog First Nation is a priority for our government and has driven our investments in a new school, upgrades to the water system, renovated housing and a new treatment centre. It was an honour to meet with Chief Sock and the council to discuss how reliable infrastructure plays a critical role in the health of their community and how we can better close the socioeconomic gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians."

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Indigenous Services

"Education is extremely important for the existence and wellbeing of our future generations. Having state of the art infrastructure comparable to what most Canadians currently have access to is key to a positive educational experience and puts us on the right path to reconciliation."

Chief Arren Sock
Elsipogtog First Nation

"I'm so pleased that the Government of Canada is making these very important investments in the Elsipogtog First Nation. In partnership with the community, so much progress is being made in regards to infrastructure, health, and education. I congratulate Chief Sock and Council for their outstanding leadership."

Pat Finnigan,
MP for Miramichi-Grand Lake

Quick Facts

• Elsipogtog First Nation is located eight kilometres southwest of Rexton, New Brunswick, on the Richibucto River. The community's total population of approximately 3,423 people includes 2,628 people that live on the reserve.
• The water system upgrades include the installation of a new water transmission line, a new water reservoir, a pump house upgrade, control system installation, and the replacement of a water distribution line.
• The new Lone Eagle Treatment Centre is supported by ISC through mental wellness funding from Budget 2018.
• Elsipogtog First Nation purchased McGraw Seafood Inc. in 2008. The plant, located in Tracadie, New Brunswick, employs approximately 200 people and the operations supports more than 150 fishers from the First Nation.
• The Community Opportunity Readiness Program (CORP) provides project-based funding to First Nations and Inuit communities for a range of activities to support the pursuit of economic opportunities, including projects such as feasibility studies, business plans, the establishment of community-owned businesses, and the construction of economic infrastructure.

Associated Links

• Elsipogtog First Nation
• Elsipogtog First Nation Profile
• Community Opportunity Readiness Program (CORP)
• Investing in First Nations community infrastructure

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

For further information: media may contact: Jeff Valois, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Minister of Indigenous Services, 613-698-2884; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [e-mail]