BY SHERRI KANIUGA
A SMALL construction site in one corner of 160 acres that sat empty for years is fueling excitement and hope for the future of Indigenous economic development in Winnipeg.
The first phase of construction – a gas bar being built by PCL Construction – has kicked off Phase 1 of the development called Naawi-Oodena, on the repatriated lands at the site of the former Kapyong Barracks along several blocks of Kenaston Boulevard. The landmark project for Treaty One Nation is being developed in large part by Treaty One Development Corporation, with the remaining approximately one-third being developed by Canada Lands Company.
The two entities have created a master plan to build a “diverse and vibrant mixed-use community that emphasizes Indigenous design excellence and connectivity with surrounding established neighbourhoods” while shaping urban growth in the city, generating economic investment and connecting communities. The plan for the site includes several types of housing, businesses, cultural institutions, health and wellness services, community amenities, and attractions.
The Oodena Gar Bar – anticipated to open around January 2025, at a cost of about $9 million – is the start of Block A of the former military base lands, which will become a business park: a commercial mixed-use area on 7.66 acres, including 130,000 square feet of commercial space and a 95,000 square foot commercial centre, all anticipated for completion in 2028.
“Strategically, gas stations start generating revenue as soon as you open the doors,” says Kathleen Blue Sky, the new CEO of Treaty One Development Corp (T1DC). “We sat down with our master plan and considered the highest and best use of the land, but also we want active revenue streams, because this development is really going to sustain Treaty One Nation… and allow Treaty One Development Corp. to continue to build out the business development plan.”
In addition to the business park, Phase 1 will include a residential development project with about 260 rental units, she says.
“That’s more of a passive revenue stream, so we aren’t going to see a return for several years. But we want to show people that this is a really good opportunity to invest in development at Naawi-Oodena. So essentially, we’re trying to create the market there, and put people there that will show up at the stores, buy the goods,” Blue Sky says. “At the same time, we know there’s a shortage of rentable housing in Winnipeg, so we’re addressing a gap in the market.”
Everybody’s welcome
When Manitoba joined Canada as a province, the first numbered treaties were signed with First Nations – Treaties 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The treaties included federal commitments and assurances of land for First Nations “Treaty land entitlements” or (TLEs), many of which are still outstanding. When federal property comes available for sale, as Kapyong Barracks did, First Nations are given priority, because it is land that was promised to be returned to them as part of the Treaties.
The land for Naawi- Oodena – which sits among Winnipeg’s ritzy Tuxedo neighbourhoods – was obtained by Treaty One Nation in August 2019 following a federal court ruling that Canada failed to properly consult with First Nations before the sale of the Kapyong Barracks, then officially repatriated and converted to reserve status in 2022.
Everybody will be welcome to live, shop and conduct business at Naawi-Oodena, says T1DC President and Sagkeeng First Nation Chief E.J. Fontaine.
“It will be a reflection of a Canadian society, with a mixture of all different types of people, not just First Nations people,” Fontaine says. “It will blend right into the neighbourhood, into the economy there. It will be like any other economic business venture. It will be profit-oriented, to ensure it’s viable in the long run.”
Seeing the gas bar and its infrastructure take shape is exciting, Fontaine adds.
“The gas bar is significant because it shows that we can do it, we’re going to do it. Seeing it being built offers hope for the community that there’s more to come.”
That hope is extended to the plans for how Naawi- Oodena will help create community not just within Winnipeg but beyond, Fontaine explains.
“It’s really symbolic for us to get the land back after being dispossessed of the land for many years… We’ve never had an opportunity like this ever in my lifetime, where we’ve been given such a pristine, valuable piece of property right in the centre of the city, and an opportunity to build and develop it. So it’s a great learning opportunity but also a great opportunity to generate economic wealth,” he says. “We can then funnel that money back down to the communities, to help us deal with our social problems at home but also deal with the economic opportunities that exist at the community level.”
While the master plan for the land was developed together by the Treaty One Nation and the Canada Lands Company (CLC) for the redevelopment of the subject lands, each operates under differing jurisdictions: Treaty One Nation is developing its lands as a joint reserve, subject to corresponding Federal legislation and internally developed land laws rather than City by-laws and development regulations, while CLC’s mostly residential development is subject to Provincial and City land use planning regimes.
Collective endeavour
Naawi Oodena is a collective endeavour shaped by community consultation and engagement that included Treaty One members, area residents, multiple levels of government, community stakeholders, and potential investors, says Sherwood Armbruster, Interim Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg.
“Overall, the larger Naawi-Oodena site, including CLC land, is projected to accommodate up to 3,100 dwelling units, 1.2 million square feet of commercial space, and up to 12 acres of community space. Naawi- Oodena will have a positive economic impact from the construction of residential, non-residential buildings, along with the infrastructure to support it,” Armbruster says.
The 109-acre site (Treaty One Development Corp.’s portion of the 166 acres) is poised to become the largest urban First Nation Economic Development Zone – aka “urban reserve” in Canada, Armbruster adds.
“The benefits of urban reserves on First Nations, Indigenous Peoples, and the surrounding municipalities are well documented. These benefits are not only economic, but also cultural, personal, spiritual, and artistic.”
Creating opportunities
First Nations people are being hired for much of the construction work and will play a big part in the business offerings on site in the future, she adds.
“Just the construction alone, we’re looking at about 3,000 jobs per year over 10 years,” Blue Sky says. “We do have an employment strategy, a labour force mobilization, and we’ve been working for the past year and a half at getting First Nations workers on site to be a part of this project. And it’s going very well, but there’s going to be a time where we need the broader labor market. So we’re definitely going to create jobs for everybody.”
There will also be multiple spin-off benefits, she continues.
“I don’t believe that there’s been a group of First Nations that have worked together to fully develop an entire neighborhood or community, so it creates a significant business opportunity not just for the seven Treaty One First Nations but also for other First Nations in Manitoba. No matter what we develop, it creates opportunities in the surrounding community to build goods and services that might complement some things that exist at Naawi-Oodena. There’s opportunities for investment partnerships, and there’s opportunities to live there… and really create this community as it grows.”
In late June, the Treaty One Nations and Treaty One Development Corporation announced a new, Indigenous-led Entrepreneurship Centre that will live in their current office and eventually move to Naawi-Oodena. The Wiitahnookiinitaw Tahshkayzing (“Working Together to Succeed”) Entrepreneurship Centre is scheduled to open this fall and will provide essential services and cultural, economic, and technical resources to Indigenous entrepreneurs and First Nations across Canada.
Good neighbours
As for the established communities surrounding Naawi- Oodena, Blue Sky says she wants the neighbours to know they are committed to working together.
“We’ve engaged the surrounding neighborhoods, engaged our communities, taken community feedback into account in all of our design aspects, and it really is going to be a seamless community within another community. That said, it’s also going have our cultural imprint embedded within it. So that is going to be something very beautiful.”
