OTTAWA—Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, spoke in Parliament on Monday, highlighting the urgent need for $20 million in federal funding to complete the new long-term care facility in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. The current home, built in 1972, is set to lose its license in June 2025, and without swift action, elders will be left without local care.
“The community has worked tirelessly to secure $49 million for this vital project,” MP Hughes said addressing the House. “But they need the federal government to step in and cover the remaining deficit to ensure elders can age with dignity, close to family and friends.”
During the session, MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP) added, “Thanks to the Liberals, Wiikwemkoong elders are on the verge of exile. Long-term care facilities are crucial for passing on intergenerational love and knowledge. Liberals are refusing an act of reconciliation. When will this government deliver the funding needed for the Wiikwemkoong elders’ home?”
In response, Parliamentary Secretary Jaime Battiste acknowledged the importance of supporting Indigenous communities but shifted focus to the recent opening of an Indigenous women’s Resilience Centre in Nova Scotia.
Time is running out as Wiikwemkoong’s elders face the possibility of displacement. The community is calling on Indigenous Services Canada and the finance minister to provide the necessary funding before it’s too late.
