KENORA – Bob Nault, Member of Parliament (Kenora riding), joined by Chief Donny Morris and residents of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, announced a Government of Canada investment to build a new school in the First Nation community.
“I’m very pleased to see that the Government of Canada committed over $42 million to build a new school in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, which will provide students in the community with an education up to Grade 12,” stated Nault. “This investment represents a historic turning point for the community as students will now be in a much better position to prepare themselves as they move on to further their studies at a college or university.”
Currently, students attending school in KI are only able to complete their education up to Grade 10. Construction of the new school is expected to begin in Spring of 2020. When completed in fall 2021, the new K4-to-grade 12 school will accommodate approximately 392 students.
“Every child deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of where they live. First Nations children in the Kenora riding, and across Canada, are no exception,” added Nault. “Children should be able to complete their education at home, in their own community and once the new school is completed, educators will be able to meet the community’s unique needs and provide culturally appropriate programming and language supports.”
Recently, the community also celebrated the official opening of its new health centre, which received a federal government investment of $18.5 million in the project. The Saggius Sainnawap Memorial Health Centre supports a range of services and programs related to public health and dental care, including children’s oral health. Office space was included in the project to improve the delivery of mental health initiatives.
“These recent investments are great news for the community of KI First Nation,” concluded Nault. “It’s clear that this government understands the importance of moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation. While there is still much ground to cover on this journey, we know we must continue building a relationship based on trust with Indigenous peoples.”
Quick facts:
- Budget 2016 included an additional $2.6 billion over five years for elementary and secondary education. Since then, total funding for education on-reserve has increased by more than 30%, and will continue to increase through 2020-2021.
- The new formula-based core funding model for elementary and secondary education will be data-driven and responsive to student population growth and education cost pressures.
- The new formula-based funding methodology will be more understandable for recipients and informed by ongoing technical discussions.
- With the new approach, two proposal-based funding streams, representing $360 million, will be rolled into core funding, reducing the administrative burden.
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