Public note:

December 20, 2022 – Infrastructure Canada must determine whether the proposed Sweetgrass Daycare and Early Learning Head Start Centre Project in Saskatoon, SK is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Infrastructure Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/Protection?culture=en-CA).

Written comments must be submitted by January 24, 2023 to:

Lily Comeau, Environmental Review Officer, Infrastructure Canada

The Proposed Project

The proposed project is the construction of a New K-12 School with an area of 3,871 m², including parking area and access road, playing fields, rink, fenced playground areas, and extension of the community's water, sewer, power, and gas infrastructure to support the new building.

The farmland will only need to be graded to the extent required to ensure positive drainage away from the new building and off the developed green areas - no clearing of vegetation is required. Excavation will be required for the crawlspace/basement underneath the building, and drilling of piles will be also be required. The size of the project area is 3 871 m². The legal land description is the Northeast Corner, Section 5, Township 44, Rage 19, west of third meridian.

The new building will be located on farmland that is currently not in use. The portion of land required for the New K-12 School will be set aside as per the requirements of Section 18(2) of the Indian Act. All lands on the Sweetgrass Reserve No. 113 are governed by Sweetgrass First Nation, with administrative support from Indigenous Services Canada. The Reserve title is held by Canada.

The proposal includes upgrades to the school that will make the building more energy efficient and higher performing. Reducing GHG emissions, reducing the cost of heating and cooling, increasing building resiliency to climate change, and providing emergency shelter in the case of a climate emergency are all important to the Sweetgrass community and to future generations.

The Daycare and Head Start facilities are to be located within a New K-12 School, which is already approved for funding under the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) capital program for educational facilities.

The new day care will provide essential childcare for parents, and the Head Start program will provide crucial care and education, health promotion, culture and language, nutrition, social support, and parental family involvement for pre-school age children, all in a dedicated, accessible, safe community space. Both the Daycare and Head Start are essential to keeping young parents in school and Sweetgrass is adamant these spaces need to be included. Community togetherness, healing, and starting children off with an excellent support system are essential for miyo-ohpikihawasowin—raising children well.

Sweetgrass First Nation have self-funded the design of both the Daycare and Head Start to date. Schools are always the centre of a small community. The building incorporates space for the elders to congregate, as well as to provide support to the students, parents of the Daycare children, and Head Start children.