Norway takes top honors from CANDO

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The efforts of Norway House Cree Nation to create a strong community and strong economy have been recognized by the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO), with the First Nation being named CANDO Economic Developer of the Year for 2001.

Much of Norway House's success can be attributed to its efforts to develop its richest resources -its people-to their fullest potential.

One of the biggest challenges faced by the community in its economic development initiatives is its location. Norway House Cree Nation sits at the top of Lake Winnipeg, at the intersection of the Nelson River and Playgreen Lake. The community is at the end of a northern highway, and has no rail service. The community can be reached via ferry, an all-weather road, or by plane.

In December 1997, Norway House Cree Nation signed the Northern Flood Agreement with the Province of Manitoba, the federal government and Manitoba Hydro. That agreement set out the terms of compensation for Norway House and four other Manitoba First Nations for the loss of their reserve lands and traditional territories as a result of the Lake Winnipeg Regulation and Churchill River Diversion Project. Under the agreement, the signatory First Nations were to be given four acres for every acre of their reserve lands affected by the project. The project resulted in the flooding of almost 12,000 acres of reserve land, and 525,000 acres of non-reserve land traditionally used by the First Nations.

Under the agreement, and Norway House's Master Implementation Agreement, an additional 80,000 acres of land is to be added to the Norway House existing land base of 19,435 acres. The agreement also provides for financial compensation for the First Nations, with Norway House Cree Nation receiving $78.9 million in cash and Hydro bonds. That money has helped the band in its efforts to develop a strong and healthy community for its current members, and for future generations.

Among the community's many accomplishments over the last decade is one that shows up on the band's balance sheet-in 1994, Norway House Cree Nation was running at a deficit of over $3.8 million. That deficit has now been eliminated.

A number of economic development projects have also been undertaken, resulting in improvements to the community's infrastructure and economic base.

Among the developments that have taken place in Norway House over the past decade has been construction of a health division building, and a 16-unit apartment building, both built in 1996. That same year, a 32-room hotel, the York Boat Inn, was also built. The hotel is owned and operated by Norway House Cree Nation.

Other projects have included construction of a council and administrative building, completed in 1997, the Nikanihk Achakosak Day Care Centre and the Kistapinanihk Mall, both completed in 1998, and a Child and Family Services building, completed in 2000.The Keenanow Trust Secretariat building was also built in 2000.

One of the biggest developments so far has been the Kinosew Sipi First Nation Multiplex. The 70,000 sq. ft. building, completed in 1995, houses a 1,500 seat arena, a four sheet curling rink, a fitness centre with sauna and whirlpool, a VLT lounge, community TV and radio stations, a multi-purpose room that can accommodate 1,500 people, and a number of offices and small businesses.

The community has also built a winter road and trade route linking it to Island Lake, allowing the people of Island Lake to come to Norway House to shop.

Construction of housing is also a priority of Norway House Cree Nation, with an average of 50 new housing units built each year, all using local labor.

Infrastructure improvements have also been part of the First Nation's undertakings, including the paving of approximately 38 kilometres of roads within the community.

The economic developments have included formation of a construction company, Playgreen Development Corporation, owned and operated by the ban. In addition to handling on-reserve construction projects, the company is also prepared to bid for off-reserve projects as well.

Norway House Chief Ron Evans said he was "surprised and shocked" when he heard the news that his community had been selected as this year's CANDO economic developer of the year. He was quite impressed with what the other nominees had accomplished.

He said location was probably the deciding factor that sent the victory in Norway House's direction.

"Where we are, we are in a remote and isolated place, really. We're not anywhere near any major urban centre, the closest one being I think 180 miles north of us, which is Thompson. And of course Winnipeg, which is a seven-and-a-half to eight-hour drive, the other being three. So it's not like we're just outside an urban centre where we have some advantages that are available to those that are situated next to cities and small towns. For us, in the north, the northern communities, that's a big challenge. It's a big challenge for us to try and do any kind of development, given the small populations and the isolation, to make those kind of significant programs and developments in our area. So I think that's maybe what they've picked out from the presentation."

Norway House Cree Nation has the largest on-reserve population of any First Nation in Manitoba. The total membership is more than 5,000, of which more than 4,000 live on reserve. Adding in Metis and non-Aboriginal residents, the population of Norway House increases to almost 6,000 people.

As chief of Norway House since 1996, and as acting chief for the two years prior, Evans has been involved in the community's successes first hand. He said the band council and administration has been working to provide the infrastructure needed by the community, and to "create a spirit of entrepreneurship" among the members, so they are aware of the opportunities available to them. The success in creating that spirit, he said, is evident by the number f people starting up small businesses in the community.

"By creating enough small businesses, they in turn hire the local people, they employ local people, which sort of helps the local economy in that way, and helps, of course, the First Nation . . . it reduces our social assistance expenditures."

That spirit of entrepreneurship is being cultivated, Evans said, by encouraging those wanting to start a business to do it right.

"Through our economic development, we try to encourage our membership when they apply for various initiatives . . . plans that they have, business plans, we try to encourage them that we'd like them to set up professionally. You know, if they want to start a gas station, then we encourage that they try to set up in such a way that it's something you would see if you were driving down south. That way, it's not Mickey Mouse things. By doing that, then, it gives them the confidence and creates the professional appearance, and people respect that, and they get a lot of support from the community in that way. And we try to do that in all areas, to ensure that people don't just try to set up some little business somewhere in the corner where its hard to see, or it's not really a place you want to go and spend any money."

A variety of small businesses have set up shop in Norway House already, including gas stations, restaurants, hotels, trucking companies, airlines, logging companies, taxi businesses.

"Things that you would need in a community of that size," Evans said.

While Norway House has already demonstrated success in its economic development, its biggest project is still to come. A school and community complex is being planned for the community, with completion set for 2003.

Plans for the proposed $56.1 million complex call for a 500-seat theatre, swimming pool, gymnasium, fitness centre, cafeteria, child development centre, running track, radio station, recording room, media room, boardroom and a health department room in the developent.

"It's rather a large school, and that school will include programs in there that sort of develop the whole individual in body, mind and spirit," Evans said. Students attending the school will be given the opportunity to develop their artistic and athletic gifts as well as their academic talents, something that, living in the north, hasn't been available to them.

The school curriculum will also be developed to meet the needs of the students, Evans said.

"It will be targeted to meet the needs of the community, rather than the community trying to meet the needs of the school. Trying to ensure that we can properly resource our community with the people that are there, that are needed, ensuring that the opportunities that are there, that they can capture them.

"So that's a big project with us, and one that's going to benefit us into the future. I'm at an age where, if things go well, I should still be able to witness that," he said. As for the future, Evans sees many more opportunities for Norway House to further develop its economy.

"We're going to be keying in on our tourism- Ecotourism. That's going to be a priority, developing that part . . . because we have much to offer. The community itself played a key role in the history of the fur trade, through York Factory, and sort of opened up the west. So we have much history there, and we're going to be working on that," he said. "And, of course, we have different species of animals up here that are not exactly what you would find anywhere else."

In addition to tourism, Norway House will also be looking into the potential for mining initiatives, Evans added.