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Losing someone to drugs is a painful experience that many people have gone through in Saskatchewan.
Ochapowace Nation Chief Shelley Bear is one of them.
She says her first nation went through its own “pandemic” of an opioid crisis.
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“We don’t want to see any more of our people being brought home in caskets from the addictions that we’re facing,” she said.
On Tuesday morning, The Mosaic Company announced it would help support Ochapowace build a Recovery and Wellness Centre in the area.
Bear said this is a vision previous leaders have had for years.
“It’s been a passion from our heart when you feel it,” she said. “I believe it was practically every week we were bringing loved ones back home.”
She said the four chiefs living along the Qu’Appelle Valley get together to discuss ways to improve the ongoing drug problem. She hopes this will help.
“That was a priority for our council moving forward — to get that help that our people so dearly need,” she said.
“(It’s) not only for our nation (but) other nations as well and non-First Nations. It affects everyone, rural, towns and cities. We’re all faced with it. So if we can work together in making lives better and change lives, that’s what we’re here for.
“It’s to think about our future generations and leave them in a better place when we’re no longer here.”
Construction for the recovery and wellness centre is set for spring 2024. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
Mosaic made a $500,000 commitment over two years to support the building of the facility on Ochapowace Nation, just south of Broadview. The estimated cost is $6 million.
Bear said it’s been a long time coming.
“We talk about reconciliation and a time for reconciliation and this contribution is part of that reconciliation,” she said.
“We look forward to sitting down and having further discussions as to how we can share together the bounty of this beautiful land that our ancestors lived on for hundreds of years.”
The Ochapowace Nation facility is set to cost $6 million. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
An important part of the Recovery and Wellness Centre will focus on Indigenous ways of healing. The program will include land-based activities like hunting, fishing, gathering and storytelling to help people reconnect with their culture and the environment.
“We know our ceremonies can help. Our different ways of healing can help, and we want to share that with everyone,” Bear said.
She said once the facility is ready, its doors will be open to anyone.
“When it comes to the opioid crisis, the drugs, the alcohol, the homelessness, it doesn’t have a colour. It has many faces,” Bear said.
President and CEO of Mosaic Bruce Bodine said the company felt that $500,000 was a good start to the campaign. He hopes others will step forward to help reach the $6 million goal. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)(Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
President and CEO of Mosaic Bruce Bodine said the company is working on improving relations with First Nations.
“We’ve been in the province for 60 years. We (Mosaic) haven’t done the best job historically, or predecessor companies, of focusing on our First Nations neighbours,” he said.
“Are we perfect? No, but I think we’ve come a long way.”
He said there is still a lot of work to be done.
“We’ve got learnings that we continue to strive for to do better,” he said.
“We need to do better. I can’t defend what was done in the past, but I can only control in our leadership team how we move forward. And I think we’re moving forward in a very positive, constructive way.”
He said announcements like this make days as a CEO fun.
“Chief Bear had a vision. Ochapowace Nation had a vision. We were happy to participate in something so important with the crisis of opioids and the passion that she has,” Bodine said.
This facility will provide 20 treatment beds.
Kevin Weedmark, MLA for Moosomin-Montmartre where Ochapowace First Nation is located, said the facility will save lives.
“We know that there’s a crisis. We know that crisis is happening right now,” he said.
“To see a project like this where we see ground broken in the spring, as soon as we can get those spaces open, the province is there with the funding. Hopefully, we see more of these announcements sooner rather than later.”
In a statement sent to 980 CJME, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health clarified that it has not had any role in the project at this point, saying the information was provided to media “in error.”
“The Ministry of Health congratulates Ochapowace on its progress in providing more treatment options to assist those on their journey to recovery,” the statement read.
Kevin Weedmark, MLA for Moosomin-Montmartre said every treatment bed will save lives. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)(Nicole Garn/980 CJME)
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Weedmark said he’s excited to see this particular facility open.
“I think it’s in an area of the province that has been underserved for a long time,” he said. “So it’ll be wonderful to see that open, and I can’t wait to see the next steps on this project.”
Construction for the facility is set for this spring.
In a statement sent to 980 CJME, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health clarified that it has “no role in the project at this point,” saying incorrect information was provided to media “in error.”
“The Ministry of Health congratulates Ochapowace on its progress in providing more treatment options to assist those on their journey to recovery,” the statement read.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include the comments from the ministry of health and remove previous information related to provincial funding.