Question Period Note: Thunder Bay – First Nation Students

We are working closely with partners to ensure that students studying away from their homes have a safe and nurturing environment that supports their education.
We are investing more than $16 million in upgrades to the Matawa Education Centre, including new classrooms, a gymnasium and a student residence. These upgrades are expected to be complete by September 2020.
We also funded Northern Nishnawbe Education Council to undertake a feasibility study to explore education facility and student accommodation options for students attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School.
We will continue to work together to ensure First Nations children and youth have access to a high-quality and culturally-appropriate education that meets their needs, while respecting the principle of First Nations control over First Nations education.

On June 28, 2016, a verdict and 145 recommendations were delivered following a Chief Coroner of Ontario inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations youths who left remote Ontario First Nations for secondary education in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Government of Canada has implemented or is implementing 77 of the 81 recommendations. The remainder require longer-term discussion or circumstances may have changed making the recommendation obsolete or impractical.
Beginning on April 1, 2019, the Department began implementing a series of new formula-based regional funding models for elementary and secondary education to ensure that students attending First Nations schools are supported by predictable base funding that is more directly comparable to what students enrolled in provincial education systems receive. On top of this base funding, the Department provides additional funding for expanded language and cultural programming, full-time kindergarten, and other initiatives that respond to the unique needs of First Nation students and improve outcomes. This new funding approach has been directly informed by Inquest recommendations and real activities identified by First Nations partners at the Inquest Education Table, and will help sustain many of the activities and initiatives implemented in response to the Youth Inquest and Northern Student Safety Concerns.
The Department committed funding to Matawa First Nations Management Inc. (MFNM) and Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC) to complete feasibility studies for off-reserve infrastructure, including student residences. MFNM completed its study in June 2018, while NNEC has recently procured a project manager and consultant for its study and is targeting a 2020 completion date. In March 2019, the Department approved $16.4 million to complete the design and renovation of the Matawa Education and Care Centre required to provide full education and accommodation needs for the students. The Department previously provided $1,981,958 to MFNM to renovate the space in the Matawa Education and Care Centre to accommodate administrative operations and classrooms; the first classes began in this space on September 4, 2018.

Student Safety

Students studying away from their homes deserve to have a safe and nurturing environment that supports their education.
This is why we have invested over $14 million in the last year to support student safety plans, on-call workers, and improved access to accommodation.
We are working closely with Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to improve student safety in Thunder Bay.

Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School

We are working with First Nation partners to ensure there is an adequate support system for students who attend school off reserve.
We approved up to $300,000 in June 2017 for a feasibility study to explore education facility and student accommodation options for students attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School. The feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2020.