Millbrook First Nation a leader in Atlantic Canada

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In just a few short years, Millbrook First Nation has transformed itself from a have-not community to a leader in economic development in Atlantic Canada.

The band's successes were acknowledged recently with a Recognition Award from CANDO (Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) and a nomination for CANDO Economic Developer of the Year.

Lloyd Johnson, economic development officer for the band, said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the recognition from CANDO.

"You know, there's a lot of good things going on across Canada. And there were 11 nominations, and we did make the four finalists, which was great," Johnson said.

"Actually, I really didn't want the Millbrook First Nation name put forward yet until our job was completed. But I don't think our job is ever going to be complete. But next year, you're going to see a lot of activity here," he added.

The First Nation's land base is split among four separate locations in and around Truro.

"Basically, it's 1,200 acres, not even that-900 acres in Truro, and 100 acres in Sheet Harbour and 100 acres in Beaver Dam and 46 acres in Metro. "And of course the 46 acres is more valuable than the rest of them put together," Johnson said.

"Our developments really just took off about five years ago," explained Johnson, who has been on the band council for 27 years, and has been economic development officer for 24 years.

"Basically we were a have-not type of First Nation in third party management, and everything fell in place, and we're doing great."

The upswing began when the band started up Treaty Gas.

"We wanted to be an independent gas bar organization. And not to be dictated to by the big corporate people. And so we built two gas bars, one on the main highway in Nova Scotia, one in the city of Halifax-Dartmouth, on our reserve properties. That was number one. That started the process."

The next step was a gaming agreement signed between the band and the provincial government that gave Millbrook First Nation approval to operate video lottery terminals (VLTs) on reserve in exchange for agreeing not to build a casino.

"I think in total it's 150 VLTs now, and they are scattered in three of our four land bases. And we run around the clock with them, 24 hours a day. In Nova Scotia, they are restricted to bars, and they're not allowed 24 hours. But we are 24 hours. We don't have bars. We have gas bars. And convenience stores. And we run them around the clock, and it's been very successful," Johnson said.

About two years ago, the band added a fishery to their list of economic development initiatives. The band now operates a fleet of 12 boats, and a new $1.5 million wharf has just been built in Sheet Harbour. Through the fishery, a number of band members are employed seasonally, harvesting lobster, tuna, scallops, snow crab, rock crab, sea urchins and ground fish.

"And that's been very profitable for the band," Johnson said.

The initiatives are giving birth to new initiatives, with profits reinvested into new projects. Profits from the Treaty Gas bar in Cole Harbour have been used to build Caldwell Glen, a $5.5 million apartment building in Cole Harbour targeted at retired and semi-retired tenants.

One of the biggest economic development initiatives to date, however, has been a $7.4 million overpass, built with funding from the band and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The new overpass, completed this summer, rejoins the two segments of the reserve that were split by construction of Highway 102 more than 30 years ago. It also provided the First Nation with a huge opportunity for economic development-a prime highway location for providing goods and services to the vehicles that travel up and down the highway each day.

To take advantage of that opportunity, Millbrook First Nation built the Truro Power Centre, a commercial development that currently houses a Needs/Green Gables convenience store, an Ultramar Gas Centre, a Tim Horton's, and an AW drive-through. The band is optimistic those businesses are just the beginning-Millbrook has 80 acres of its reserve land adjacent to the highway earmarked for commercial development, making it the first Mi'kmaq community to own and operate a prime highway commercial development.

Never satisfied to sit back and rest on its laurels, Millbrook has a number of other developments in that works. Work has just begun on a $2.4 million aquaculture facility on reserve, which is expected to be in full operation by next fall.

"It's unique in that it's a huge fish farm-inland, not on water. It's inland, and it's inside a greenhouse. And we will be growing certified organic produce from the wastewater of the fish farm. And certified organic produce commands a much better price on the market," Johnson said.

A new band office is also being built, and plans are in the works to build a second wharf, this one off reserve in northern Nova Scotia.

Also in the plans is an office building in Cole Harbour, which would provide Native organizations with an on-reserve site for their offices.

Bill Pictou is employment and training officer with Millbrook First Nation. He said the band's economic development initiatives have translated into increased employment, and increased employability among band members.

The developments have meant construction related jobs for band members, but have also provided members with training and experience in construction fields.

Once completed, the new businesses are also providing jobs. Although some are entry-level positions, Pictou explained, they are still increasing the employment options for band members.

"We've had a fair number of people employed on those jobs, like over at Tim Horton's and Needs/Green Gables and the Ultramar, where people who were unemployed a lot of the time aren't now."

More jobs have been created with the opening of the new wharf, where Pictou expects four or five new positions will need to be filled. About 10 more jobs wil be created when the new aquaculture centre starts up as well, and even more positions will be created as the Truro Power Centre expands.

"The employment rate has increased almost 20 per cent in the last four or five years from what it was before," Pictou said.

Seasonal employment has also been created with Millbrook's entry into the commercial fishery.

"So those occupations, we never had before. Those have increased considerably, because we had none, and now we have almost 20 people working seasonally." Pictou said.

The band has also begun training its members for employment in the oil industry, offering a maritime drilling course.

As employment and training officer, Pictou works closely with Johnson to ensure band members are ready for the new economic development initiatives as they come online.

"What I try to do is I try to keep in touch with economic development, to participate in training plans, earmarking training dollars to assure that we're going to have participants in our economic development ventures, and to make sure the training will be provided in plenty of time to make those placements real. And so far we've done that. It's gone along remarkably well. We're very fortunate there."

The turn around in the band's economy has had a noticeable impact on the outlook of its members, Pictou said.

"People get a sense of well-being. That they're making adequate wages, that their jobs mean something. And it looks good for the future planning of their children that are going to come along. It's going to develop a real good work ethic, that there's something going to be available through our own band resources. They don't have to go off the reserve to find jobs. It's definitely going to have a positive impact in this community," he said.

"We're having a very good year, and I can only see it getting better. Because we're just starting, and it's already having quite an impact in this community."

The economic successes have also benefited the band members n a more tangible way as well.

"Five years ago, we were under third-party management-$300,000 deficit. Which isn't big, but to us it was big, and we were under third party management. And we've turned things around so well, we now give dividends from our profits, and it amounts to $2.4 million a year among our band members every year. So that translates into $2,000 per band member every year, split $500 in the summer and $1,500 for Christmas. And we've been able to do that with our profits, in addition to all of the other things we do," Johnson explained.

"And the real beauty of that situation is that all the minors, the money for the minors, is held in trust in Winnipeg until they turn 18 . . . and every time a band member turns 18, they get a cheque. And this year, it's $5,000, because of when it kicked in.

"I have two little ones, 12 years old and nine years old, and by the time they're of age, they're going to be around the $20,000 mark. Which is different, for Atlantic Canada anyway," Johnson said.

"And that's, I guess, the best part of anything we're doing. We've been able to share the profit among all 1,200 band members, which, by the way, live across Canada, California, Florida. Some have never even seen the reserve. But it's a situation where they're band members, and they get equal sharing of our profit."