Black Lake To Investigate Treatment Centre Idea

Black Lake To Investigate Treatment Centre Idea

Thursday, December 03, 2009 at 12:37

The Black Lake Dene Nation has received financial support from a mining company for a proposed $3-million treatment centre.

Earlier this week, the band was given $42,000 from Cameco to go towards a feasibility study.

Black Lake chief Donald Sayazie says that in the next few months, Cameco will probably give the band the remaining $43,000 for the study.

Sayazie expects the study will be completed in May, with construction a few months after that.

“The way it is right now, if everything’s going good, maybe next fall some time we should have this treatment centre under construction. It’ll be on the reserve…. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be close to the hospital, and also close to the airport. That’s what I’m looking forward to,” he says.

Sayazie says Cameco has also promised the band another $450,00 in start-up funding, if the study goes well.

Next week, Sayazie is travelling to Ottawa, where he will meet with the ministers of Health and Indian Affairs, from whom he hopes to secure more funding for the treatment centre.