Sioux Valley to spend $2M on portable classrooms
The move was prompted by serious concerns about the safety and suitability of the building, Sioux Valley Chief Vincent Tacan told the Brandon Sun.
Tacan said council made the decision due to the building's aging infrastructure, potential asbestos contamination and an outdated boiler-based heating system in the basement.
'Would you put your child in a school that has asbestos?' he asked. 'We won't gamble with the health of our students or staff anymore. That building was supposed to be temporary, now we're nearly 10 years in.'
Originally built in 1914, the former Fleming school was purchased by the community in partnership with the Brandon School Division as an interim measure while awaiting a new facility, Tacan said.
'It was originally designed for younger students, not high schoolers, and has fallen into further disrepair over the years.'
Sioux Valley had hoped to be on track for a new, permanent school, but a recent letter from Indigenous Services Canada dashed those expectations.
In the letter addressed to chief and council and shared with the Sun, Kandice Léonard, ISC's regional director general for Manitoba, stated: 'Indigenous Services Canada has not committed funding for the design and construction of a new school … Sioux Valley Dakota Nation remains included in the department's prioritization process for future investment consideration.'
The news left the community disheartened.
'There was a perception in the community that a new school was coming. That was not true,' Tacan said.
With no confirmed government funding, Sioux Valley is moving ahead with its own funds to secure the portable classrooms.
'We're funding this ourselves because we have to,' Tacan said. 'It's what our children deserve.'
The new portable setup will return about 90 students to their home community, sparing them from about three-hour-long daily commutes to Brandon-area schools such as Crocus Plains, Vincent Massey and Neelin High.
Tuesdays
A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world.
The portable classrooms will be delivered and installed ahead of the 2025–26 academic year, Tacan said.
The community is also seeking support from other organizations and is open to partnerships to expand or enhance the temporary facilities, particularly to secure a gymnasium, he added.
Tacan said Sioux Valley's struggle is not unique.
'There are 63 First Nations in Manitoba, and many of their schools are in rough shape,' he said. 'Now we have wildfires in the north, and the resources are being stretched even thinner.'
— Brandon Sun
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Championship final — Totem Poles vs. Orcas
Social Sharing Symbols don't change all that much — but our connection to them does. One hundred years ago, British Columbia was a land of mountains and trees, salmon and bears, Ogopogos and Okanagan fruit, an Indigenous past with a diverse array of First Nations histories, and a settler present spurred by the gold rush and railways. Then, the orca was seen by many as a criminal of the waters that competed with fishermen for valuable resources. Totem poles were famous pieces of art, but often taken from First Nations whose lands were dispossessed, put in far-off museums or tourist attractions as "ethnographic curios," as one Musqueam art curator put it. A century later, orcas and totem poles are the two finalists in the Search For B.C.'s Best Symbol, our fun summer competition to unofficially find out what best represents this province. It's reflective of more than 400,000 votes that have eliminated 62 of the 64 original entries in our competition. It's also reflective of how British Columbia has changed. "Totems symbolize, I think, what's the best and the worst of British Columbia history sort of all wrapped in that one symbol," said John Lutz, a University of Victoria historian who wrote the chapter on totem poles in the book Symbols of Canada. Why totem poles are such iconic B.C. symbols 14 days ago "Our relationship to iconic species like orcas is really not extraction. It's about approaching and experiencing nature in a very different way," said Jason Colby, a UVic historian who wrote Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator. Two iconic symbols of this province — which one will British Columbians vote as the best? Symbols of the past, stories of the future Talk to people who directly engage with totem poles or orcas on a regular basis, and you'll get all sorts of answers why they make for an interesting symbol. On Saturna Island, dozens of volunteers are involved with the Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network, an organization that monitors and provides data to the federal government about the movements of orcas, in hopes of better preserving their habitat. WATCH | What orcas mean to B.C.: How orcas became such a big symbol of British Columbia 16 days ago "If we can learn to save the orcas, if we can learn to understand the orcas, we can learn to understand many other things in this province," said Richard Blagborne, a volunteer who helped organize a symposium last decade on Moby Doll — an orca captured off the Saturna coast in 1964 whose plight helped changed the perception of the cetacean. "The more we learned, the more we started to love them. And I think that's a positive indication about British Columbians." 'Namgis and Squamish master carver Xwalacktun, who has created more than 30 totem poles in his career, is more circumspect when asked if the totem should be B.C.'s best symbol. "If we were to use totem poles, the reason is to represent a story, and that story is the new beginning of where we want to go with this symbol of British Columbia," he said. "You always can't forget what's happened in the past. So we remember what happened in the past, but we continue on moving forward." The past and present both inform what symbols matter most to British Columbians. But the one known in the future as the province's best — at least, according to a highly scientific series of online votes — is now up to you. Voting closes at 10 p.m. PT Wednesday, and we'll reveal the winner Friday morning on The Early Edition. Until then, may the best symbol win.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nurse proves doctors wrong
When Jean Brown was born, doctors did not expect her to live. Jean, who died on June 24, proved them wrong — she lived to 97 years of age. But at that time, almost 10 decades ago, Jean was born premature and weighed only three pounds. Her family says what saved her was the determination of her Scottish aunts. They paid no heed to what the doctors were saying. They placed the newborn infant into an apple box, put the box in a sunny window, and she survived. 'With that start, she could begin an extraordinary, human, connected, life that lasted nearly a century,' her family said in her obituary. Jean lost both her parents, Bill and Jane Mowat, when she was only 16. She lived her with her aunt and uncle and finished her education at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. That's where Jean met the guy who would become her husband — Norval Brown. The family says every day until he died in 1993, he made Jean laugh. Jean graduated as a nurse at the Children's Hospital in 1952, but, as was usual at the time for many, her career was brief once she was married. She considered raising her daughters her life's work. But that doesn't mean she left her nursing training behind her. Jean would disinfect children's toys, put picture books in the oven to sterilize them, and even offer speculative diagnoses. Advertisement Why this ad? She also volunteered at the Montreal Oral School, worked as a classroom aide at what is now known as Manitoba Possible, formerly the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities, and was an active member of her church, St. Bede's Anglican Church. As her family says, 'Our mother and grandmother leaves behind no recipes and few heirlooms, only more framed family pictures than we know what to do with and a phone number none of us will ever forget.' Jean is survived by four daughters, eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Read more about Jean. How They Lived Vincenzo (Vince) Brambilla was only 14 when he immigrated on his own from Italy to Winnipeg. Vince, who was 85 when he died on Feb. 21, came here because his sister lived here with her family. Through hard work, Vince went on to become a restaurateur with his most notable one being the downtown Grain Exchange Restaurant where his family says he charmed customers with his stories and his food. Read more about Vincenzo. Kay Hutton's organizing skills shone. Kay, who died on July 23 at 91 years of age, was able to use those skills through her life. She volunteered extensively at her kids' schools and she was active in both bowling and curling leagues. But those organizing skills came to the forefront when she served as competition secretary for the Manitoba Highland Dance Association, as secretary for the Sons of Scotland, and as an organizer of the annual Sons of Scotland Summer School of Dance. Read more about Kay. Gerald Lafreniere was a teacher who taught Indigenous youth. Gerald, who was 89 when he died on July 21, dedicated his education career to teaching in First Nations communities across the country for 53 years. Wherever Gerald taught, he was known for passionately supporting Indigenous youth and for his patience, integrity and quiet strength. Read more about Gerald. Ron Wiebe was known by many as Mr. Canola. That's when Ron worked in the commodity division with James Richardson and Sons which resulted in his 35-year career with Richardson Greenshields. He wore a yellow trading jacket on the floor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, focusing on canola, and he served as a board member of the Exchange. He later was also president of the Winnipeg Clearing Richardson Greenshields was sold to the Royal Bank of Canada, he spent the last five years of his career with RBC Dominion Securities. Read more about Ron. Sean Lawson was a friend to many. Sean, who died on July 14, grew up in Stonewall and worked for years at Winpak in Winnipeg where he made many friends. He was raising his son in Teulon when he was slain in his home. His family says they are hoping 'justice will be served.' Now the community is fundraising to help his 12–year-old son — details are in his obituary. Read more about Sean. A Life's Story Suzanne Barrow was an artist known for capturing the sky in her artwork. Suzanne, whose long career was as a business analyst, picked up her brush when she retired to Gimli and she rarely put it down. Suzanne Barrow started painting on the deck of her home during the pandemic to bring joy to her neighbours. (Supplied) She became especially known for her lifelike sky paintings, including a giant one she worked on out on her front porch as a fun demonstration during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I paint from the heart,' Barrow said in an online video. 'It's a passion. Sometimes it's very touching to me and that's why I paint. It helps me get through life.' Read more about Suzanne. Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life's story.
Global News
5 days ago
- Global News
Canada's longest trial ends in precedent-setting B.C. land claim ruling for 4 First Nations
The B.C. Supreme Court has delivered a precedent-setting ruling on a land claim brought forward by four First Nations after a multi-year court battle. The piece of land in question is a 750-hectare parcel in Richmond, including city and port lands, farms, golf courses and commercial properties. The Quw'utsun Nation, Cowichan Tribes, along with the Stz'uminus First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Halalt First Nation and all other descendants of the Cowichan Nation, launched legal action in 2019 to recover their government-held lands near the mouth of the Fraser River – known as the traditional village of Tl'uqtinus. They also sought a declaration of an Aboriginal right to fish the south arm of the Fraser River for food. Today, land in the claim area is owned by the federal Crown, the B.C. government, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the City of Richmond and private third parties. Story continues below advertisement The defendants in the case were not only the federal government, the B.C. government and the port authority but also the Tsawwassen First Nation and the Musqueam Indian Band. 'This is the first case that we've really seen First Nations pitted against each other, in an Aboriginal title trial,' Aaron Wilson, a member of the Musqueam Nation and an associate at Mandel Pinder LLP, which represented the nation. 'We're talking about years of work, millions of dollars in legal fees.' 2:02 First Nations seek return of land housing well-known B.C. potato farm When the Europeans made contact in the early 1790s, the Cowichan (Quw'utsun mustimuhw) were an Indigenous people, established of 11 local groups. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Every summer, the Cowichan travelled to their Lands of Tl'uqtinus, in what is now modern-day Richmond, to fish and harvest resources. Story continues below advertisement Hudson's Bay Company officials first sighted the village in 1824, however, the Cowichan Nation states that during colonial reserve creation, beginning 1859, Col. Richard Moody, the Chief Commissioner of Lands for the Colony of British Columbia, did not finalize the village and surrounding lands as a Cowichan Indian reserve and took part of the land for himself. The Cowichan Nation said it was not seeking to recover any privately-held lands in the court case but they wanted lands held by government returned to them. The ruling by Justice Barbara Young directs the Crown to decide how to settle ownership where current legal titles overlap with Cowichan's newly-recognized title. 'Really, it's the province and federal governments that will have to deal with this,' lawyer Peter Grant said. 'Federal Crown may have to transfer some of the land back, they may have to compensate them for the financial benefits that they've got from those lands.' In a statement, B.C.'s Attorney General Niki Sharma said the province is reviewing the court ruling to determine any next steps as it 'considers an appeal.' B.C. Premier David Eby said in a statement, 'Let me be clear: owning private property with clear title is key to borrowing for a mortgage, economic certainty, and the real estate market. Story continues below advertisement 'We remain committed to protecting and upholding this foundation of business and personal predictability, and our provincial economy, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.' 2:23 Agreement reached with five of Treaty 8 First Nations Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam First Nation said they were disappointed by the outcome of the case. Young's ruling means that Quw'utsun's right to fish that area of the Fraser River for food can be done without needing permission from the Musqueam Indian Band. 'It surprised us a little bit because, you know, you're always in the hands of a judge and you don't know how a judge is going to act,' Sparrow said. He added that they will have their legal team review the case and determine next steps. 'We're going to continue to fight and stick up for our rights for our area that our ancestors have left in our control and we'll defend it to the maximum.' Story continues below advertisement Sparrow said it would be disappointing for First Nations' oral history to be overwritten by colonial judges and systems put in place that they have been fighting against for generations. He said this also affects nation-to-nation relationships. 'There's family names that are shared, there's deep connections and kinship that we've always had and that's what we talked about in the court case,' Sparrow explained. 'Pre-contact, we had a government that was governed through our Indian laws and that's one of the sole arguments that we have. We have very close relationships to those communities, we share our names, we share a lot of that history and that's what it's boiled down to — yeah, it's going to have a lot of hard feelings with our communities.' Wilson said the next step will be to review the 863-page judgment, following a trial that lasted five years and a deliberation period of 20 months, making it the longest trial in Canadian history. 'It's incredibly complex and we will continue to review the decision and advise Musqueam,' he said. 'Musqueam are considering all options.'
