The federal government is adding $31 million to its existing $65-million contribution to the redevelopment of the former Hudson’s Bay store downtown into an Indigenous housing and cultural hub.
Saint Boniface-Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal, who is responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, made the announcement Friday, alongside Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels.
The additional funds will be directed toward structural upgrades to the renamed Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn building, the creation of a public tourist space on the main floor and an Indigenous workforce hiring app.
SCO will receive $25 million from Infrastructure Canada and $6 million from Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).
“The re-imagined HBC building will bring economic reconciliation to the forefront,” Daniels said in a statement.
“This project has already inspired new partnerships and hope for the future. As we recover from the inter-generational and ongoing impacts of colonization, it is essential to see investments and strong partnerships that contribute to the healing and wellness of the first peoples of this country we all call home.”
Vandal called the funding an investment in “positive generational impact.”
“The creation of Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn in Winnipeg will revitalize our downtown and move us from promises to action,” he said.
“Congratulations to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization on this project that will stand as an example of reconciliation in action to the entire country.”
Infrastructure Canada’s funding will go toward repairs and upgrades to the building, which opened in November 1926, including a transformation of the main floor into a “public space that attracts tourism.”
PrairiesCan’s investment will include the development of a “First Nations-focused workforce development app” named Miikahnah Connect.
A Miikahnah Connect website was launched earlier this year to link construction companies to Indigenous trade workers.
PrairiesCan estimates that approximately 400 people will be hired through the app to work on Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn.
All three levels of government have promised funding for the project that was announced in April 2022. The province has put up $35 million — $25 million for historic preservation and $10 million for housing — and the city has said it will offer tax incentives.
While the original cost of the project was expected to be $130 million, the budget had grown to about $200 million late last year.
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Malak Abas
Reporter
Malak Abas is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.
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