Multi-Reserve Bands Face Funding Cut

Multi-Reserve Bands Face Funding Cut

Thursday, November 30, 2006 at 15:21

 

 

First Nations with more than one reserve are dealing with some changes to their funding formula.

 

Indian Affairs has confirmed it will no longer provide funding for band governance structures based on the number of reserves a band has.

 

Instead, the department will dole out the “band support funding” to the First Nations as a whole.

 

Indian Affairs spokesman Trevor Sutter says the move was made because some reserves in Canada only had a few dozen people living in them.

 

Sutter says Lac La Ronge, Montreal Lake and Peter Ballantyne are the only three First Nations in Saskatchewan that will be affected.

 

He says PBCN will receive $235,000 less annually than it used to under the old system, and INAC has given it $440,000 in one-time funding to cushion the blow.

 

Sutter notes several First Nations have used the fund for other needs with the department’s blessing. PBCN Chief Harold Linklater has already indicated the band will use the payment to address houses with mould problems.

 

Sutter says Montreal Lake will be minimally affected, while the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is currently under a different funding formula that isn’t up for renewal until 2011.