Canadian government to receive advice from aboriginal economic development board

from 680 News

By: BILL GRAVELAND

CALGARY (CP) - It's an idea that has always been out there - the dream of ending the poverty that runs rampant among Canada's First Nations people by fostering aboriginal economic development.

"I think in the years ahead when people look back at the significant progress that will have been made in the economic development of aboriginal Canadians, they will look back upon today and these announcements as a very significant step forward," said Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Prentice had just emerged Wednesday from his first meeting with the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board - a body that will advise the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on areas such as investment strategies, business creation, aboriginal involvement in major projects and policy development.

"I think it would be fair to say the government of Canada's resources and efforts have been widely fractured and perhaps trying to do too many things in too many places and not achieving results," admitted Prentice.

"We need to make a clear commitment to economic development as the key to ending poverty and ending dependency."

The newly appointed chairman of the economic development board is Chief Clarence Louie, the president and CEO of the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corp. in British Columbia.

"My passion is creating jobs and making money and ... that's one of the reasons that I agreed to chair this board," explained Louie.

"I want to be part of a group of people that wants to deal with aboriginal poverty. Any country in the world that has poverty doesn't have a strong economy and that's what aboriginal people in Canada need is a strong economy."

Prentice said he would like to see more economic co-operation between First Nations groups and the resource sector. He pointed out there is a well-educated, young aboriginal workforce available that could be accessed, especially in Alberta, which faces a severe labour shortage.

"We have to shift the focus away from social programming to economic development. When you travel around this country to First Nations communities that are totally dependent on government transfers you find poverty," said the minister.

"When you go to communities where there's been an opportunity to build an economic base you see the development of wealth and affluence."

Louie said each band in Canada should set up its own economic development plan to make sure that any windfalls, from such things as land claims, last past the current generation.

"It's going to be the tool to take away those deplorable poverty statistics," he said.

"Those First Nations that have economic development have higher graduation rates, better housing and have less poverty issues. Our board is going to put those measurable statistics on the wall for all of Canada to see."