SIOUX LOOKOUT, ONTARIO, June 24, 2009―Aboriginal people in Northwestern Ontario will have access to a new skills and employment training initiative, leading to long-term jobs, thanks to support from the Government of Canada. This new initiative, combined with enhanced service delivery, was announced today by Mr. Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
 
The Whitefeather Forest Training Initiative will provide Aboriginal people with the skills and employment experience required to work in the mining and forestry industries. This initiative is funded through the federal government’s Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program, which provides Aboriginal people with the training and skills they need to take advantage of job opportunities in industries such as northern mining, oil and gas, forestry, and fishing.
 
“Aboriginal people in Northwestern Ontario will certainly benefit from the $5.3 million investment announced today, which will help increase their participation in the job market,” said Mr. Rickford. “I am also pleased that Service Canada will be there to help ensure that the people of Northwestern Ontario are able to access programs and services in a manner that works best for them.”
 
More than 51 First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario require access to Government of Canada programs and services such as Employment Insurance benefits, the Canada Pension Plan and Social Insurance Numbers. Service to these communities will be enhanced by Service Canada staff visits to Community Offices and other First Nations communities, and by services being provided in the Aboriginal languages of the communities.
 
The Whitefeather Forest Training Initiative represents a diverse partnership between the Pikangikum First Nation and a number of community, federal and provincial government, academic and industry partners. The goal of this partnership is to provide training for 260 Aboriginal people and secure 180 long-term jobs in the mining and forestry industries.
 
“The ASEP program represents an opportunity for the community of Pikangikum and its people to welcome partnerships with government and partners of corporate Canada in promoting the development of employment and training capacity for the Pikangikum First Nation,” said Mr. Alex Peters, President of the Whitefeather Forest Management Corporation.
 
Goldcorp is one of the valued partners in this initiative. “As an industry partner, Goldcorp, through its Red Lake Gold Mine, is committed to supporting the Pikangikum First Nation’s efforts to improve community members’ employment skills through training opportunities that exist at the Mine,” said Mr. Mike Lalond, Mine General Manager at Goldcorp. “Leaders and Elders in the community have worked cooperatively with Goldcorp representatives to make this happen. This is an important step for the community towards improving its economic progress.”
 
“We are pleased to be working with a range of partners to help build a better future for Aboriginal people in the province’s northwest,” said the Honourable Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources for Ontario. “I commend the Pikangikum First Nation for taking a leadership role and look forward to the opportunities that will be created for the community by the Whitefeather Forest Training Initiative.”
 
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Aboriginal people through targeted investments to improve their skills development and employability, and to help them secure long-term jobs.
 
This initiative is funded as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, in which the Government continued its commitment to enhancing the availability of training by investing an additional $100 million over three years in the nationwide ASEP program. This investment will support up to 25 new ASEP projects, which could result in up to 6,000 jobs for Aboriginal people across the country.
 
Service Canada is the Government of Canada’s one-stop service delivery network, giving citizens access to a range of federal services online at www.servicecanada.gc.ca; by phone at 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232); through a teletypewriter (TTY) at 1-800-926-9105; or in person at over 600 points of service in communities throughout Canada.
 
To learn more about the Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.