Okanese First Nation celebrates sod turning of $12M water treatment plant

Okanese First Nation, Sask. -

Okanese First Nation celebrated the sod-turning of their new $12 million water treatment plant project on Friday.

The project will provide clean drinkable water to approximately 80 homes and buildings on the reserve.

"It's going to mean so much to have good, clean, life giving water for the community,” Chief Richard Stonechild expressed.

“You know, it’s something that we've never really had before because this plant is going to be built specifically to deal with the high levels of iron in the water supply,” he said.

Stonechild said councils and chiefs prior to him have been working hard towards the project for nearly a decade long.

"Water is such a precious, precious resource and we do take it for granted a lot of the times,” he explained. “As soon as you don't have it you know it, and you realize how precious it is. I think having this new plant is going to really take that worry away from us and for all of our people."

Stonechild added that access to clean, drinkable water is an ongoing issue for many First Nations communities across Canada.

“Of course there are still a lot of Indigenous communities that don’t have that right now. It’s an ongoing issue, but the federal government is doing their best to address it I would think, hopefully one day we’ll all have that access to that good, safe, clean drinking water,” he said.

However, the federal government said it is a problem they are working to address.

"It's been a commitment of the Government of Canada in terms of the delivery of clean and safe water on reserve to members of the nations across Canada and it's honouring that commitment,” stated Rob Harvey, regional director for Indigenous Services Canada.

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Harvey said the new water treatment plant will serve people living on the reserve now, and future generations to come.

“The plant should be designed to supply water going forward,” he explained.

“As Okanese First Nation continues to grow, the water supply should be there to ensure there is safe water supply for all members.”

As of December 2023, Indigenous Services Canada has invested $3.82 billion dollars to support water-related infrastructure projects for First Nations Communities across the country, including several similar projects in Saskatchewan.

Chief Stonechild said the community is looking forward to the project and the ongoing benefits it will bring to Okanese.

"To see the plant actually be under construction, leading up to this point it was a long process, but to see it come to fruition is really great, we’re all really excited,” he said, smiling.

Construction is expected to be completed just under two years. However, Stonechild said if everything goes as planned, the project should be finished by a year and a half.