THUNDER BAY — A plan for a $40-million long-term care home in Fort William First Nation remains a winner conceptually, but federal funding for the project is as elusive as ever, says Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski.
In an interview about the stalled project, Powlowski (Thunder Bay-Rainy River) said the proposed 100-bed facility makes as much sense today as it did when it was first put forward about six years ago.
It would not only create jobs in Fort William First Nation and provide Indigenous-focused care, but it would also reduce the load on acute-care beds in Thunder Bay, which are often taken up by long-term care patients.
But Powlowski said it remains unclear what federal ministry or program would provide the hefty up-front capital cost, despite his efforts to keep the facility on the government's radar, including mentioning it to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"It's fallen through the cracks," Powlowski said.
FWFN Chief Michele Solomon recently told another local news outlet that the lack of federal financial support for the project is "disheartening."
Solomon's predecessor, Peter Collins, had also pitched the idea of having a long-term care facility based in the community.
The provincial government has reportedly committed to supporting the facility's operating costs if built.
While Powlowski didn't rule out the project receiving federal funding before the Liberal government's current term is slated to end in 2025, he didn't think it would be included in next month's federal budget.
"I'm not expecting it to be a big-spending budget," he said.
Powlowski said the Fort William First Nation proposal for a long-term care facility within its community is not a new idea.
He cited a First Nation in southern Ontario and one on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island that have completed similar projects.
"The funding (for those projects) was essentially found, and I think that's going to happen here, too (with FWFN's project)," Powlowski said.
He said he would continue pushing for the Fort William First Nation facility if re-elected in the next election.
"I'm not going to give up on it," he said. "I'm going to be like an old dog with a bone."
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
