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441-00595 (Indigenous affairs)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Whereas:

  • Kawenn:io/Gawenn:yo Elementary and High School Children and Families continue to do their part in striving to keep our Hodenosaunee culture and languages alive at Six Nations of the Grand River;

  • They need a permanent home school to accommodate access for all who wish to attend as the current situation creates challenges in trying to accommodate the current demand due to space limitation and health and safety regulations to meet new safe school requirements resulting from COVID-19 impacts;

  • Recognizing the huge contribution made by Curt Styres, owner of their current educational location at the Iroquois Arena, for his continued support and contribution of this Immersion program for the past eleven years. The community sincerely hopes that soon they will be able to move to a new school and allow him to move forward with his delayed plans;

  • This school has had to move five times since 1985, when the original founders established the immersion program. The Founders recognized the importance of this program to ensure a continuous supply of community language speakers and knowledge carriers to keep the Hodenosaunee culture, language and way of life strong to survive into the future;

  • The community members are thankful for the contributions in keeping the culture and language alive despite the overwhelming challenges that still exist. They have been working for 30+ years to build a school; and

  • Kawenn:io/Gawenn:yo School is ready to undertake the construction of the New Immersion Kawenn:io/Gawenn:yo Elementary and High School. The design brief was accepted by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) in November 2018. Since then, this project is shovel ready.

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to fund the project of the New Immersion Kawenn:io/Gawenn:yo Elementary and High School.

Response by the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Vance Badawey

Thank you for your petition regarding the New Immersion Kawenn:io/Gawenn:yo Elementary and High School. The construction of the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo School represents an important initiative that responds to the preservation and revitalization of the Cayuga and Mohawk languages and culture for current and future generations.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) was pleased to fund $53,270 for Six Nations of the Grand River to finalize the updated design brief for the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Language School. The Department also provided a letter of support for the Six Nations of the Grand River’s application to Infrastructure Canada under the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program seeking $17.7 million for the construction of the school. We understand that this project was not selected for funding under this program, however, Infrastructure Canada is planning a second proposal intake for this program in 2022, which may offer Six Nations of the Grand River an opportunity to re-apply.

To ensure funding is allocated to the highest priority education infrastructure projects, ISC uses a school priority ranking framework, based on established criteria, that provides a consistent and transparent approach to guide education infrastructure investments. Criteria includes health and safety, overcrowding, access to other education facilities, design requirements, and cost share and efficiency opportunities.

Priority investments are being made in education facilities where health and safety improvements are critical and to ensure adequate education facilities are available in communities that have no access to other education options, such as in remote communities.

We will continue to collaborate with Six Nations of the Grand River to ensure that the Kawenn:io/Gaweni:yo school project is well positioned to take advantage of funding when it becomes available to advance the detailed design and construction phases. ISC will also continue to engage with other departments on opportunities to support this project.

Presented to the House of Commons
Larry Brock (Brantford—Brant)
June 16, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00595)
Government response tabled
August 17, 2022
Photo - Larry Brock
Brantford—Brant
Conservative Caucus
Ontario

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.