Fort McKay Band gets $4 million for services

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Only the beginning

For a few years now, the community of Fort McKay has sought to obtain modern water and sewer facilities for its residents. Now because of people like former chief Dorothy McDonald, this quest will become a reality.

On December 16 at Fort McMurray the present chief of the Fort McKay Band,

Jim Boucher, signed an agreement with the federal and provincial government for the installation of a $4 million water, sewer and utilities project.

Chief Boucher sees this as the band taking on and accepting more responsibility. He says it is only the beginning of projects that will occur on the reserve.

"We will be making a presentation to the Native Economic Development Program ((NEDP) and are looking at a multiplex facility to be established in McKay. Still, I must say a lot of work for this recent agreement must go to Dorothy McDonald and Clara Shott," said Boucher.

Boucher says that the engineering for the water and sewer project should be accomplished by April or March, and that construction will begin in early spring and finish mid-1988. This of course means employment opportunities for the people of McKay.

"We have a stipulation in the federal and provincial contract that we will employ residents of Fort McKay, which we will be doing," commented Boucher, while mentioning that feasibility studies to improve the economic conditions are on going in the community.

The agreement was signed by Boucher as president of Fort McKay's Infrastructure Development Corporation.

In attendance for the significant signing of the agreement were Alberta Minister of Recreation and Parks Norm Weiss and Jim Fleury of Indian Affairs.

Fort McKay is located approximately 100 km north of Fort McMurray.