RECONCILIATION

When the Mi’kmaq First Nations Coalition announced last year that it was buying 50 per cent of Clearwater Seafoods in a $1-billion deal, one of the parties most pleased with the transaction was the First Nations Finance Authority. The FNFA, based in British Columbia and operating since 2005, provided the coalition with a $250-million loan for the Clearwater purchase, which it called a “historic step forward for the Indigenous economy.” That Indigenous economy is, by some calculations, a powerhouse-in-waiting, owing to a young, fast-growing population and court rulings and legislation that support Indigenous rights.

Providing a welcoming runway for that work force, in the form of education and opportunities, could benefit both Indigenous communities and government finances. In a 2016 report, the National Indigenous Economic Development Board estimated closing the productivity gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians would lead to an annual increase of $27.7-billion in GDP.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities face a daunting infrastructure gap – estimated to be as much as $30-billion – when it comes to services such as drinking water, wastewater, roads and broadband connections. And after this year’s confirmation of unmarked graves at several residential schools, those communities want the next government to implement the calls to action of the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report.