Canada invests in Mi'kmaw centre for healing and resilience of women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people

MILLBROOK FIRST NATION, NS, July 29, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Karla MacFarlane, Minister responsible for the Office of the Status of Women and Office of L'nu Affairs; Bernadette Marshall, President of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association; and Chief Robert Gloade of Millbrook First Nation, announced over $8.1 million in joint funding to support the construction of a new Resilience Centre in Millbrook. 

"Millbrook First Nation's new Resilience Centre will provide much needed services to Mi'kmaw women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA individuals across Nova Scotia seeking refuge and respite. Through culturally-appropriate programming, users will be able to heal, build resiliency and reconnect with the customs and traditions that have defined our People for millennia," said Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

"This Centre will help write a new chapter. One of healing, strength, and resilience, led by Indigenous women. The Province of Nova Scotia is proud to invest in this transformative project, which will provide trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate, healing and wellness programs that will help people to live happier, healthier lives," said the Honourable Karla MacFarlane, Minister responsible for the Office of the Status of Women and Office of L'nu Affairs.

"This is an historical moment for the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association and huge step forward. The NSNWA has come such a long way over the years, even from five to six years ago, so this Resilience Centre, which will be located in the hub of Nova Scotia, is an amazing achievement for our association. It is going to be able to help so many women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in our communities throughout Nova Scotia and help provide some much-needed healing for so many as well. We want to eventually see a Resilience Centre in every Indigenous community in our province. This Resilience Centre has been a dream of mine for years and now the dream is becoming reality, it's very exciting," said Bernadette Marshall, President of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association. 

"We are thrilled and proud to be able to provide the land for the new Nova Scotia Native Women's Association Resilience Centre. When I was first approached by Karen Pictou, the Executive Director for the NSNWA, we didn't hesitate to come up with a solution for the land use for this important project. Millbrook and the NSNWA, along with the federal and provincial governments, are on a continuous path, making headway and joining forces to give back to the Mi'kmaw and Indigenous people in our community. I am privileged to be part of this historical moment," said Chief Robert Gloade of Millbrook First Nation.

The Resilience Centre will be dedicated to healing and resilience for Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA individuals, and their families. Users of the new, sustainable facility will be able to participate in art therapy, group sessions, maker spaces, a wellness centre, and spaces for culturally significant ceremonies and practices.

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada is investing over $6.5 million for this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, and $232,000 is being provided through Indigenous Services Canada. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing $1.4 million.
• The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is an integral part of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan, providing $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.
• At least 10 percent of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.
• This program will help the Government of Canada reach its emissions reduction targets by 2030 and its net-zero objectives by 2050.
• Provincial/territorial governments, municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, not-for-profit, and Indigenous organizations interested in the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program are invited to apply on the Infrastructure Canada website.
• Applicants with large retrofit projects to existing community buildings or new community building projects with total eligible costs ranging from $3 million to $25 million were accepted through a competitive intake process which closed on July 6, 2021. A second intake is anticipated later in 2022, however, the date has not yet been determined. Details about the second intake will be published to the Infrastructure Canada – Green and Inclusive Community Buildings' website as soon as they become available.
• Announced in December 2020, Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments towards a healthy environment and economy.
• The funding announced today builds on the Government of Canada's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying middle class jobs, strengthen local economies, and build inclusive communities.

Associated links

Green and Inclusive Community Buildings:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gicb-bcvi/index-eng.html 

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Strengthened Climate Plan:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html

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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Contacts: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [email protected]; ,Ellen Marshall, Event Manager/Public Relations Officer, Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, 902-890-8332, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]