Six northern projects receive provincial and federal money

The Saskatchewan and Canadian governments are sinking just over half-a-million dollars into six projects designed to provide training and economic development opportunities in northern Saskatchewan.

That amount will be topped up by funding from clients and other partners, putting the total allocated to the projects at about $1.2 million.

One of the projects being funded will see the North East Development Association undertake a $240,000 drilling and exploration program to find out if a quarry deposit of green granite exists in the Pelican Narrows area. If a fracture-free deposit is confirmed, it could lead to establishment of a quarry in the area.

Under another project, the Central Cree Economic Development Corporation will receive money to offer a 40-hour training course in oilfield safety at Montreal Lake Cree Nation. The course will accommodate up to 20 participants and will provide them with training needed to find employment in mining or in the oilfield.

Northland College will receive funding to allow it to continue to offer First Nations childcare training in Pinehouse. A similar program was offered last year and had 11 graduates. This year's program will be able to accommodate 18 students.

Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership will receive financial assistance to undertake a $33,000 research project into the medicinal potential of chaga, a fungus that grows on birch trees and which may have cancer-fighting properties.

The Creighton Regional Development Corporation will use the money it receives to create a fish management plan to determine the size of burbot stocks in four lakes in the northeastern portion of the province. The corporation is considering starting up a commercial operation that would extract nutritional oil from the livers of the fish.

Money has also been allocated to the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council, which will provide a Tourism Careers: Ready to Work program in La Ronge to train northerners in food preparation and serving in the tourism industry.

Funding for the six projects was announced on May 25. The money for the projects falls under the Canada-Saskatchewan Northern Development Agreement. Signed in 2002, the five-year agreement will see a total of $20 million in funding for economic development initiatives in northern Saskatchewan. So far just over $8.6 million has been allocated in support of 28 projects.