Anishinabek Discovery Centre has received more than $3 million since 2018, feds say (4 photos)

Anishinabek Discovery Centre has received more than $3 million since 2018, feds say (4 photos)

Federal government continues pre-election tour to announce new funding, while highlighting previous funding announcements

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1 / 1 Garden River First Nation Councilor Andy Rickard speaks on behalf of Chief Paul Syrette during a federal funding announcement for the Anishinabek Discovery Centre. James Hopkin/SooToday

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Anishinabek Discovery Centre stakeholders were joined by Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett to announce more than $3 million in additional funding the feds have provided for the new centre over the past year, dating back to December 2018.

The yet-to-be-completed project has now received more than $13.5 million from the federal government since 2015 to assist in the construction of the new home for Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and a national chiefs library.

“We would like to thank the Government of Canada for its continued support. We are excited about the cultural, social and economic potential that the Anishinabek Discovery Centre represents for our region,” stated SKG president and academic dean Della Anaquod in a press release. “Once complete, the facility will enable Indigenous Peoples to acquire the educational tools needed to succeed in modern society without comprising the values of our culture and traditions.”

On top of the initial funding of $10.2 million allotted to SKG in 2016 and 2017, the federal government also kicked in another $2.7 million in funding for the Anishinabek Discovery Centre in December 2018 and June 2019, Sheehan told SooToday Friday.

Meanwhile, new FedNor funding of $610,400 will allow for the purchase and installation of “technology infrastructure and specialized equipment,” according to a press release.

“The Anishinabek Discovery Centre is a game changer for the Sault and will attract students to our community from the rest of Canada and the world,” stated Sheehan via press release. “It will also encourage local students to remain home in the Sault throughout their studies, and that’s something I’ll always advocate for.”

The Anishnabek Discovery Centre will house SKG classrooms, event facilities and the national chiefs library once complete.

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