The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) will be providing $1 million to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services and Waabinong Head Start Family Resource Centre to build an Indigenous-focused childcare facility in Sault Ste. Marie.
The facility will create 24 jobs and will provide educational programs for Indigenous preschoolers and their families that promote the Anishinaabek culture and language.
For more information, please see the press release included below.
The Ontario government is providing $1 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services and Waabinong Head Start Family Resource Centre to build a childcare facility that provides educational programs for Indigenous preschoolers and their families that promote the Anishinaabek culture and language in Sault Ste. Marie.
“This $1 million investment to build this new facility will increase access to licensed childcare and parenting supports for Indigenous families in the community," said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “In addition to building a modern facility that houses important social services and essential supports for working families, this investment from our government will create 24 new jobs in our local economy.”
The new childcare space will provide a safe and secure learning environment, while allowing parents who participate in the program to access education and training for future employment.
"The availability of affordable and high-quality childcare is key to the peace of mind of parents as they go to school and work," said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. "Our government is supporting Indigenous-focused childcare to ensure all Northern Ontario families have access to the supports they need."
The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $473 million in 4,244 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.5 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,679 jobs.
In 2021, the Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.