OTTAWA—The government of Canada continues to encourage First Nation participation in economic opportunities. On Monday, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services was pleased to announce funding to the Odawa Stone Limited Partnership in support of the Sheshegwaning Quarry.
Sheshegwaning First Nation owns and operates a quarry that currently extracts dimension (block) stone and sells it to industry. The First Nation also has plans to manufacture the stone into different materials, which will allow them to access a larger national and international market.
“Our government is pleased to support this initiative that will enable access to a broader market for the Sheshegwaning First Nation quarry and will lead to increase revenue and the creation of new jobs for its members,” said Minister Philpott.
The funding will be used by Sheshegwaning to conduct testing, material preparation for marketing and to prepare a business and marketing plan.
Indigenous Services Canada is providing $249,785 to support this project through its Community Opportunity Readiness Program. This program addresses the financial needs of First Nation communities in their pursuit of, and participation in, economic opportunities.
Sheshegwaning First Nation Chief Dean Roy said, “we are very pleased to have the Government of Canada’s support for this initiative and we are excited to see where this will lead us. We look forward to expanding our business to include value-added manufacturing that will allow us to enter a larger playing field. This will inevitably have long-standing economic benefits to the community of Sheshegwaning First Nation and its members for years to come.”
Sheshegwaning First Nation’s quarry is a Class A facility, operating under the name of Odawa Stone Limited Partnership. It is located in Robinson Township, approximately five kilometers from Sheshegwaning.
