Contract is awarded for the construction of Fort Severn school
FORT SEVERN FIRST NATION, ON, Feb. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, on behalf of Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, today confirmed funding for the new Fort Severn First Nation school.
Thanks to the partnership between the Government of Canada and the First Nation, students from Kindergarten to Grade 9 will have access to a new school in the Poplar Hill First Nation, part of a $44,451,310 design and construction funding project.
The First Nation has begun to mobilize materials using the winter road and is expected to begin construction in the spring of 2015. Occupancy of the new school is planned for September 2016.
Our Government is focused on what matters most to Canadians – growing the economy and helping create jobs. That is why, through our Government's $53 billion New Building Canada Plan, we continue to invest in new schools, like Fort Severn, and support the construction of provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure.
Quick facts
- Fort Severn First Nation has a registered onreserve population of 539 and is located in northwestern Ontario, on the shores of the Hudson Bay, approximately 680 kilometers north northeast of the Town of Red Lake, Ontario.
- The new school will be a 1,880 square meters facility, designed for the enrolment of 112 students ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 9.
- Between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2013, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada invested approximately $613 million for 372 education facilities projects, including new construction, additions, renovations and minor upgrades of existing on-reserve education facilities.
- For more information on the Government of Canada's investment in First Nations' school infrastructure, please visit the online Education Facilities Progress Report – April 2008 to March 2013.
Quotes
"Canada recognizes the importance of creating safe learning environments that encourage students from First Nations. I would like to congratulate Fort Severn First Nation on the commencement of this project and for providing their children with a safe and inspiring learning environment. We will continue to collaborate with our First Nations partners across Canada to generate concrete results and to ensure that the First Nations are able to participate fully in a dynamic Canadian economy."
Bernard Valcourt
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
"Our Government is committed to providing First Nations students with a quality on-reserve learning environment that provides them with the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to enter the labour market and be full participants in a strong Canadian economy. This new school will make a significant difference in the lives of the community and especially the youth of Fort Severn First Nation."
Greg Rickford
Minister of Natural Resources, Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, and Member of Parliament for Kenora,
"A new school will provide our students with the best possible opportunity for reaching their full potential. Not only will it benefit the students, but it is also an investment in the future of the community."
Chief Joseph Crowe
Fort Severn First Nation
Associated Links
Fort Severn First Nation's Community Profile
Canada's Economic Action Plan
Education Facilities Progress Report – April 2008 to March 2013
For further information on First Nation Community Infrastructure
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SOURCE Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Contacts, Emily Hillstrom, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, 819-997-0002; Media Relations, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 819-953-1160
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