Cree Nation of Wemindji - Working in Partnership with the ...

Cree Nation of

Wemindji - Working

in Partnership with

the Fund to Open

New Doors

CANDO - Winnipeg - October 29, 2013

©2008 FNMHF

The Fund’s Vision

Every First Nation

family has the

opportunity to have

a home on their own

land in a strong

community

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©2008 FNMHF

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About the Fund…

• Launched May 5, 2008

• Designed to support market housing arrangements

between First Nations and lenders

• $300 million federal investment

• Intended to leverage $3 billion in on reserve

housing investment across Canada

• First clients announced in Feb ‘09

©2008 FNMHF

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…about the Fund

• New tool to create more on reserve housing

Homeownership

Rental units

Renovations

• Respects communal ownership of reserve lands

• Only First Nations can apply

• Developed with input from AFN, First Nation

communities and organizations across Canada

©2008 FNMHF

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Housing off reserve

• A house is the biggest investment most people make in their lives

• Study shows homeowners build 20-40 times more wealth than renters over their lifetimes*

• Governments create policy, programs to encourage wealth creation through home ownership

*"The Importance of Housing to the Accumulation of Household Net Wealth“ Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, 2003

©2008 FNMHF

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…housing is a driver

Trades

Groceries

Appliances

Gas

Lenders

Lot

construction

Insurance

Agents

Furniture

Utilities

Inspectors

©2008 FNMHF

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Housing is a driver- just not

on most reserves

• Currently, well over half of all housing dollars

leave the reserve

• There is a demand of 87,000 units needed

across FN - how can First Nations supply it?

• The Cree Nation of Wemindji will show you

how it has been done

©2008 FNMHF

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Multiplier effect

• Money spent in a local economy is re-spent by employees and suppliers, so the multiplier tries to calculate how many times this occurs

• Result estimates how much money is generated for each housing dollar spent

• Off reserve, CMHC calculates average residential construction multiplier is 1.25 (2007)

• The Cree Nation of Wemindji plans to guarantee housing loans of $ 20 million – the effect could be $ 45 million

©2008 FNMHF

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How does the Fund support investments?

• 10% backstop for housing loans guaranteed

by the First Nation

• Leverage to negotiate with lenders

- lower interest rates

- reduced program access fees

- risk sharing

- administrative arrangements

• Capacity Development

©2008 FNMHF

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First Nation sets parameters

• Market housing program parameters include:

- Types of borrowers

- Permitted uses

- Loan characteristics

- Land tenure method

©2008 FNMHF

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FNMHF Capacity Development

Program

• Provides support for First Nation communities

that want to use the Fund and meet most

criteria but have areas which require

strengthening

• The Fund’s Capacity Development Program

focuses on the three pillars of the Access

Criteria – financial management; governance;

and; community commitment

©2008 FNMHF

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Our Success So Far

• 112 applications received from First Nations

74 Rural - 11 Remote - 27 Urban

• 53 applications approved for Credit

Enhancement and Capacity Development

• 23 First Nations approved for Capacity

Development only

• 36 under review

• 54 loans backed by the Fund for newly built

homes, home purchases, rental and

renovations

©2008 FNMHF

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28/202 11/47

8/75

6/63

43/134

4/40

5/35

7/14

0/29

0/0

LB

# of First Nation Applications Received by the Fund / Total #

of FNs in each Prov./Territories (as of October 11th, 2013)

©2008 FNMHF

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Profile of First Nations approved to

date for Credit Enhancement • More than $610 million of housing investment

over 5 years - 53 First Nations

• Homeownership contemplated in all – plus some with renovations, rentals, elders and foster homes

• Range in population:

8 – less than 500 and 16 – between 501 – 1000

24 - between1001 – 5000 and 5 greater than 5000

©2008 FNMHF

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FN announced for Credit Enhancement

as of October, 2013

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• Miawpukek NF

• Membertou NS

• Lac La Ronge SK

• Batchewana ON

• Onion Lake SK

• Atikameksheng

Anishnawbek ON

• Whitefish River ON

• Champagne &

Aishihik YK

• Wikwemikong ON

•Siksika AB

• T’it’q’et BC

• Eastmain QC

• Tsawout BC

• Sagamok ON

• Seabird Island BC

• Tk’emlups BC

• Moose Cree ON

• Serpent River ON

• Hiawatha ON

• M’Chigeeng ON

• St. Mary’s BC

• Neskonlith BC

• Nipissing ON

• Mississauga ON

• Wemindji QC

• Henvey Inlet ON

• Beausoleil ON

• Wahnapitae ON

©2008 FNMHF

Cree Nation of Wemindji

• Wemindji is located at the mouth of the

Maquatua River along the east coast of

James Bay, we are 1400kms north of

Montreal

• Our current population of the community is

1499.

• It is one of the nine Cree Communities

located in Northern Quebec

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©2008 FNMHF


• The Cree Nation of Wemindji is one of the

biggest employers in the community.

• We currently employ about 103 positions

within the community.

• We have the Chief & Council which consists

of 7 Members – Chief, Deputy Chief & 5

Councillors

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©2008 FNMHF

Establishment

• Wemindji used to be located on Old Factory

Island.

• The Community relocated in the summer of

1959.

• This is when the development of our

community started.

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©2008 FNMHF

James Bay Northern Quebec

Agreeement

• It wasn’t until the James Bay Northern

Quebec Agreement that our community

started taking charge in it’s development.

• The Agreement gave us the power to start

our own Cree School Board Operations and

the Cree Board of Health and Social Services

of James Bay.

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©2008 FNMHF

JBNQA cont…

• This was negotiated by the 9 Cree Chiefs

along with the Grand Chief of the Grand

Council of the Cree's.

• This gave us access to funding to develop

our communities with the proper

infrastructure to properly situate our

community and it’s buildings for operations.

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©2008 FNMHF

Maquatua Eeyou School

• Our school currently

has 408 students

• This includes the

Primary, Elementary

and High School

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©2008 FNMHF

New Clinic

• This is our new

clinic which was

built in the year

2008-2009

• Grand opening was

in the summer of

2009

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©2008 FNMHF

Multi-Services Day Center

• Our MSDC building

is being operated

under the CHB

• This facility is used

to have daily

activities for our

elders.

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©2008 FNMHF

Better Development

• With the proper infrastructures in place, we

had better housing conditions.

• Power lines were connected and Water

Supply lines and waste management was in

place.

• This gave access to tap into the CMHC social

housing program.

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©2008 FNMHF

CMHC Program

• This is one of the

CMHC projects

• This consists of the

fourplex, a duplex

and a single housing

unit

• This was built in

2006-2007

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©2008 FNMHF

Private Housing units

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©2008 FNMHF

CNOW Office Facade

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©2008 FNMHF

CNOW Office

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• Our Band office was

built in the year

2008-2009

• It’s all wood

construction

• It has 30 Offices and

3 conference rooms

©2008 FNMHF

CNOW - Lobby entrance

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©2008 FNMHF

CNOW - Front entrance

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©2008 FNMHF

Youth Center

• Youth Centre was

built in 2008-2009

• All the youth

programs are

administered in this

building

• It is a very busy

place to be in.

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©2008 FNMHF

Around the Community

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©2008 FNMHF

Around the Community cont…

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©2008 FNMHF


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©2008 FNMHF

Sports Complex

• Our WHMSC was

constructed in 2004

• It has an indoor

swimming pool, a

fitness center and a

huge gymnasium

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©2008 FNMHF

Wemindji Trappers Assoc. Inc.

• This is the only

commercial log

building we have in

our community

• This is where our

hunters and

trappers seek

assistance

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©2008 FNMHF

Wemindji Trappers Assoc. Inc.

• They coordinate the travel arrangements for

the tallymen

• Ensuring the traditional practices are being

conducted and ensuring the safety is there for

trappers to go back to their trap lines

• They have a fisheries program, Cabin

program, and they also have a membership

program.

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©2008 FNMHF

Mawabou Gardens

• This is our

community arena,

we have annual

hockey & broomball

tournaments for

Minor & Seniors

• It has a restaurant

business operating

in the facility

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©2008 FNMHF

Wemindji Airport

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©2008 FNMHF

Mini-dam

• Constructed in 1983

• Was the main

source of power for

our community,

before we were

connected to the

Hydro-Quebec grid

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©2008 FNMHF

Mini-dam cont..

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• What is being

generated off this

mini-dam is sold to

Hydro-Quebec

• This assists us with

off-setting some of

the expense for

electricity

©2008 FNMHF

Water Treatment Plant

• Constructed in

2011-2012

• Grand opening of

the building was in

June 2013

• Our water has better

quality and better

distribution

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©2008 FNMHF

Mini-mall

• Most of the

businesses operate

here, which is

currently under

construction due to

the fire

• This will be

completed in April

2014

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©2008 FNMHF

Community Hall

• This is where our

meetings are usually

held, community

events

• Currently being

used as a store, due

to the fire

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©2008 FNMHF

Tawich Development

Corporation

• A subsidiary under the Cree Nation of

Wemindji

• The Corporation is responsible for

establishing businesses and overseeing on

the progression for it’s subsidiaries they own

& operate.

• The Corporation also assists with the

entrepreneurs in establishing business plans

and proposals 46

©2008 FNMHF

TDC Cont…

• The Corporation has a board of Directors

which consists of a President, Vice-President

and 5 Board Members

• They Currently own or is a majority owner of

the following companies

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©2008 FNMHF

Subsidiaries under TDC

• Tawich Construction

Inc.

• VCC Inc.

• Wemindji Paving

• Kepa Transport

• Community Store

• Sibi Enterprises

• CreeNet

• PetroNor

• Canada Post

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©2008 FNMHF

• Maquatua Inn has a

total of 30 rooms, 12

with the restaurant

were recently

renovated with air

conditioning in the

rooms

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Subsidiaries under TDC cont…

©2008 FNMHF

• The Tourism

Department is now

under TDC which

was recently

transferred from the

Band

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• Wolf Camp Services

employs about 150

to 160 employees,

this provides a

service to the Mine

in Camp Eleonore

©2008 FNMHF

• Wemindji Laundry

Inc.

• This was recently

established and has

a contract to provide

service to the

Eleonore Mine as

well

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©2008 FNMHF

• TDC also owns a

Helicopter called

Whapchiwem

• Which provides

transport services to

remote areas

around the

community

• ECEP Rock

Crushing

• This subsidiary does

the crushing for our

aggregates for the

community

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©2008 FNMHF

Pilot Project 2012-2013

• The Chief and Council decided to take a Real

Estate Approach in housing in 2012-2013

• We built 20 housing units last year, 3 different

models

• So far we have 15 confirmed sales

• We are anticipating for more interest in

Private homeownership in the years to come

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©2008 FNMHF

First Nations Market Housing

Fund Application

• As part of our pilot project, I was given the

directive to look into the FNMHF

• We submitted our application to the Fund on

May 15, 2012, we were approved under the

FNMHF on August 28, 2012 for Credit

Enhancement and Capacity Building Dollars

• The agreement has been signed

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©2008 FNMHF

First Nations Market Housing

Fund Application

• Benefits of the FNMHF, guarantee in place

for 5 years and does not require a ministerial

guarantee

• The fund guarantees the loans for Private

Housing or Rent-to-own Programs and Rental

Units under an Economic Development stand

point

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©2008 FNMHF

20 Unit project

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• Vieux Comptoir

Construction Inc. did

the 20 unit housing

project

• We utilized their

service to provide

employment to our

community

members

©2008 FNMHF

20 Unit Project

• The landscaping

was awarded to

Tawich Construction

Inc.

• This will be done in

a 2 year phase;

phase 1 is already

completed.

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©2008 FNMHF

Capacity building

• We currently have the Succession Planning

Project in place

• This will benefit the community to establish

who is next in line to fulfill vacant positions

• Training for our staff is also in progress for

project management

• These are two of the projects that are

currently under in relation to the FNMHF

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©2008 FNMHF

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First Nation application procedure

1. Complete the “Self Assessment” for capacity consideration to determine FN Capacity Development needs.

2. Complete the “Application for the Credit Enhancement Facility” to support CE determination.

3. Gather and submit above with supporting documentation:

BCR supporting application

Min. 3 years of consolidated audited financial statements.

4. Mail application and documentation to our office and participate in site visit once arranged.

©2008 FNMHF

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THANK YOU!

1-866-582-2808

Direct Line: 1-613-740-9931

[email protected]

www.fnmhf.ca

[email protected]

Thank you

Questions Fund

www.fnmhf.ca

[email protected]


www.wemindji.ca

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.fnmhf.ca/


http://www.fnmhf.ca/





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