Wemotaci STRUCTURING IS ESSENTIAL to ENHANCING
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FIRST NATIONS OF QUEBEC AND LABRADOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (FNQLEDC) Wemotaci CEDO’S PATH MARCH | VOL. 18 | N° 4 CDEPNQL.ORG STRUCTURING IS ESSENTIAL TO ENHANCING GROWTH THE MANOUANE SIPI PROJECT WILL FINALLY GET UNDERWAY 2 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS 3 CLUB ODANAK A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES NEXT TO LA TUQUE 4 SUCCESS STORY DEPANNEUR WEMOK OF WEMOTACI 5 OSEKWAN MINIC TRADITIONAL PROCESSING OF BLUEBERRIES: AN ECONOMIC PROJECT 6 DEVELOPING SELF-ESTEEM IN YOUTH Chief François Néashit, Adam Jourdain, Guy Laloche and the FNQLEDC Women’s THROUGH SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURSHIP 7 Entrepreneurship Advisor, Emmanuel Bertrand-Gauvin. AN AGRICULTURE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT IN OPITCIWAN 8 Several economic development projects are on the way in the Atikamekw FNQLEDC IN THE FIELD 10 community of Wemotaci. This has been made possible, thanks to the NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT 11 renewed emphasis placed on this activity sector over the past few years, STIMULATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN and to a major restructuring. FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES 12 TOURISM COLUMN 13 The first step in the restructuring program initiated a few years ago was to create a TAX COLUMN 14 community economic development organization (CEDO), the Nikanik Corporation, the Director General of which is Mr. Adam Jourdain. And then, to have a long-term vision LEGAL COLUMN 15 and in order to be able to achieve new projects, the Corporation adopted a strategic AWASTOKI - 3D TECHNOLOGY IS planning in economic development focused on five lines of action: community-based INTRODUCED TO ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES 16 entrepreneurship, private entrepreneurship, tourism, forestry and sustainable develop- ment. Based on this strategic planning, the Corporation Nikanik makes it its mission to UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE FNQLEDC 16 identify every opportunity in this regard and to implement structures and components that will enable them to seize it. DEVELOPING PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP At present, the Conseil des Atikamekw de Wemotaci owns seven limited partnerships, which the following are part of: Épicerie Bonichoix, Services forestiers Aski and Club Odanak. Therefore, entrepreneurship is primarily community-based, but everything is in place to see the number of private enterprises increase over the years ahead. In fact, one of the projects of Corporation Nikanik that will help boost private entrepreneurship in Wemotaci is the construction of a Business Centre. This project, which is of interest to many financial partners, will get underway soon. This project arose from a need of the CEDO’S PATH Corporation who had to contend with a lack of business prem- Act (FMA), which grants powers that are greater than the ises in the community. In addition to responding to this lack of Indian Act, in particular in the field of infrastructure and eco- space, the new centre will also be there for the needs of entre- nomic development financing. The community will therefore preneurs who don’t always have the means to hire a secretary, be able to use the FMA as economic lever to make loans an accountant, etc. At the Business Centre, they will have at attractive interest rates. In a near future, it will also take access to various services whose costs will be shared amongst steps to subscribe to the 10 years Grant offered by Indigenous them and other users. This is the first phase of a much larger Services Canada, and for which the subscription to the FMA project which includes the construction of an industrial motel is a prerequisite. All these elements brought together will (business incubator) in the years to come. The Corporation enable the community to ensure financial stability and plan Nikanik is also hoping to provide one or two trainings a year to long-term projects. its entrepreneurs to help them in their development. To conclude, all the hard work done so far is starting to pay SELF-EMPOWERMENT NEEDED FOR off, since the community actually has 140 M$ worth of current LONG-TERM PLANNING and upcoming projects. A brief overview of the main projects In order to give itself the means to plan on a long term, will be provided in the next articles of this edition. Wemotaci acceded to the First Nations Fiscal Management THE MANOUANE SIPI PROJECT WILL FINALLY GET UNDERWAY On February 15 2019, an agreement for the purchase of electricity was signed with Hydro-Québec, thereby confirming the start of construction of the micro-hydro power plant, which will generate major economic spin-offs for the community of Wemotaci. The Conseil des Atikamekw de Wemotaci and the city of La Between the 20th year and the last, spin-offs should amount Tuque have been working since 2009 on this construction to 1,5 M$ each year. The execution of the Manouane Sipi project for a micro-hydro power plant of 22 megawatts project will be a stepping stone for a complete change in the on Manouane River. This project was one of the 13 projects economy of the community, while improving services provided retained out of the 31 projects that had been submitted at to its people. Effectively, taking advantage of the context of the time. In 2013, when the PQ government was elected, the construction works, new services will be developed and others project had been abandoned, but it came back on the table in will be improved, for example, the gasoline tanks of the service 2014, when the Quebec Liberal Party took power. Since then, station need to be changed. It will be an opportunity for the several studies have been conducted to relaunch the project, community to install tanks with a greater capacity, which will and a new partner, Kruger Énergie inc., joined the two partners. be beneficial for its members, while at the same time providing On February 15 2019, the electricity purchase contract was gas for the machinery being used on the construction site. signed with Hydro-Québec. 2019 will be a more “technical” Opportunities for business creation, which will be available year, because various studies have been conducted, but it is to both private entrepreneurs and the Band Council, will expected that by 2020, the construction should have begun. also flow from this project. As a matter of fact, the Nikanik The micro-hydro power plant is scheduled to start operating Corporation is currently considering the possibility of building in 2024. a country inn in Wemotaci; such a facility would lodge both, construction workers and visitors. The Atikamekw community is SUBSTANTIAL SPIN-OFFS FOR THE ATIKAMEKW therefore hoping to maximize as much as possible the spin-off COMMUNITY developments of this project to create jobs for its people. And The project consists of a 40-year contract. From the first year finally, the spin-offs of Manouane Sipi will also be reinvested in up until the 19th year, the project should bring in revenues of services to the population. 250 000 $ to 500 000 $ annually to each of its partners. 2 | NIKAN | MARCH 2019 CEDO’S PATH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS Following is a brief overview of some of the projects due to be completed in a near future in Wemotaci. In 2017, Wemotaci played host to the Indigenous Inter-Band By the way, the apprentice carpenters will have a factory- Games, an event during which the community hosted close to workshop for the entire duration of their course; the workshop 1 000 youths, aged 9 to 17. It was a great logistical challenge is established in a building that was previously owned by for the small community, and it was carried out with great Hydro-Québec. At first, it will be used for the carpentry course, success. This experience was an eye-opener for the elected and then for the construction of home modules. representatives and Corporation Nikanik in the fact that the community realized that it has the capacity to welcome a large number of people. Given that it possesses also a particular tourism potential, it is a sector of activity that will be developed in the forthcoming years. A project is on the table to build a country inn for visitors who are passing through. Corporation Nikanik is also considering to develop the site of the old reserve where the pow-wow is being held every year, and to get a new outfitter camp. NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION On another issue, in the past year, the Conseil des Atikamekw de Wemotaci adopted a new housing policy. In partnership with the Aboriginal Savings Corporation of Canada (ASCC), the program offers three options to community members who would be interested in becoming owners: buy the home they currently lease, lease it with option to purchase, or build a new home. Since the inception of the policy, some twenty homes or MINI SAWMILL PROJECT so were sold in the community. Also in the works, is a project to build a mini sawmill, which would be carried out in partnership with Groupe Rémabec In addition to allowing community members with an which owns a sawmill in Parent. The mini sawmill would opportunity to access private property, this revision of the transform wood that cannot be processed in the facilities housing program represents an economic development of the Parent sawmill. Presently, this wood, graded as “sub- opportunity. In fact, the new homes that will be sold are standard” is not being used and it rots in the sawmill lumber prefabricated models delivered in Wemotaci, in modules. By yard. The Wemotaci sawmill would specialize in the processing spring, a training course in carpentry will be offered in the of this oversized wood, thereby avoiding that it be spoiled. This community and the trained carpenters could build the houses project would represent an investment of approximately 3 M$ directly on site in Wemotaci, which represents a business and and would create several jobs.