Liberals join Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to celebrate recent community developments

September 15, 2021

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, Ontario – Today, Marc Miller, Liberal candidate for  Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Soeurs, and David Bruno, Liberal candidate for Kenora, joined Chief Redsky and the community of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to celebrate the opening of their new school for grades K-8, the lifting of 7 Long Term Water Advisories, and their new water treatment plant and distribution system. This construction was made possible by the opening of the Freedom Road in June 2019.

“The lifting of 7 Long Term Water Advisories is a great moment for the people of Shoal Lake 40 who have fought so long for clean drinking water. I also want to congratulate the community on the opening of their new school, ensuring there is space for the growing student population to learn and reach their potential, immersed in their own culture, now and into the future,” said Marc Miller. “Whether it’s the construction of the Freedom Road, completed in 2019, which has allowed for the construction of these projects, or the new water treatment system, we will continue to be there for Shoal Lake 40 and all Indigenous communities in Canada for the long term.”

We cannot, and will not, abandon our obligation to ensure First Nations peoples on reserve have safe and clean drinking water. A re-elected Liberal government will:

• Make any investments necessary to eliminate all remaining advisories.
• Make sure that resources and training are in place to prevent future ones.
• Maintain our commitment to invest $6 billion to ensure sustainable access to clean water for First Nations.
• Build an Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care system that meets the needs of Indigenous families, wherever they live, including creating 3,300 new spaces.
• Invest $1.2 billion over five years, and $181.8 million ongoing, including $726 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to enhance funding formulas in critical areas such as student transportation, to ensure funding for First Nations schools remains predictable from year to year and increase First Nations control over First Nations education by concluding more Regional Education Agreements.

This plan builds on the Liberals’ leadership in working in partnership with First Nations communities across Canada:

• Working with Shoal Lake 40 and other levels of government to deliver on our 2015 commitment to build Freedom Road.
• Investing over $4 billion in 535 water infrastructure projecting, including 99 new plants and 436 upgrades.
• Lifting 109 long-term water advisories, which includes lifting all advisories in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.
• Preventing 192 short-term drinking water advisories from becoming long-term.
• Building and refurbishing almost 200 schools so that tens of thousands of First Nations kids have a better education.
• Accelerating the government’s 10-year commitment to close the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities.

“It brings me great joy to join Chief Redsky, Marc Miller and the people of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, for today’s celebration of their new school and water system. This is what reconciliation is all about—working hand-in-hand with Indigenous partners to deliver real results on the things that families and communities need,” said David Bruno.  “I know there is still much work ahead of us, and if elected, I will work closely with leaders like Chief Redsky to continue building on this progress and move our communities forward for everyone.”

For more information, please contact:
media@liberal.ca
613-627-2384

Rachel Rappaport
rrappaport@liberal.ca