Federal and provincial governments are at odds over who should pay
A dispute between Ottawa and Ontario over funding for a new elders home in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory could force dozens of residential school survivors to be separated from their families and community again, according to the First Nation’s chief.
Wiikwemkoong, located on Manitoulin Island, is seeking $20 million in federal funding to complete the construction of a new long-term care home. The current facility, built in 1972, is outdated, too small, and set to lose its license next year.
Without the new building, 50 Anishinaabe elders, many of whom survived residential schools, could be relocated to nursing homes across Ontario, Chief Tim Ominika said.
"It's going to be retraumatizing," Ominika said in an interview with CBC News. "Not only [for] them, who are residing within the long-term care facility, but also the community as a whole."
The First Nation has raised $40 million of the $60 million required for the new home. Ontario committed $30 million, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) added $7.5 million, and the community has collected over $2 million through fundraising efforts. However, the project is still short of the remaining $20 million, and the federal government has yet to provide the additional funding.
Ominika said Ottawa should step up, noting the federal government has funded similar projects for other communities outside of its jurisdiction, including $30 million for a new elder care home in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and $194 million for a long-term care facility in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu agreed Ontario should provide more funding but also emphasized the federal government’s support.
"Repeatedly, what we see from Ontario is a pattern of discrimination for First Nations," said Hajdu. "[Ontario has] a jurisdictional role and responsibility to support aging. We're there as a partner, but we do need the Ontario government to step up."
Ontario, meanwhile, is defending its commitment to the project. The province has promised 30 years of operational funding and construction subsidies for the new facility. A spokesperson for long-term care minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta criticized Ottawa for not providing the necessary funds.
"We are disappointed in the federal government's continued lack of engagement on this project, which is needlessly delaying construction," said Daniel Strauss.
The issue has also caught the attention of the federal NDP. Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout sent a letter urging Hajdu to provide the missing $20 million.
"It's critical at this point to ensure that Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation gets the funding that it needs to keep its elders in their community and not be displaced again," Hughes said.
Despite a brief meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this month, Ominika remains frustrated by the lack of concrete support.
"I'm a little disappointed," he said. "This isn't something that we were asking for at the 11th hour. We've been requesting some support for a number of years."
If built, the new home would have 96 beds—nearly 40 more than the current facility—and include space for cultural programming. The new space would allow elders to share their knowledge with younger generations, preserving the community’s traditions and language.
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The current facility is already at capacity, and the waitlist is growing. While the province has offered to extend the facility’s license, Ominika said he will only agree if funding for the new building is secured. He estimates construction will take two years once funding is in place.
Ominika said the issue raised fundamental concerns about preserving First Nations culture and ensuring future generations can learn from their elders.
"If we don't get this money secured by the government, we're going to be losing all of that," he said.
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