Indigenous Public Partnerships: Cost-effective Solutions To Aging Public Infrastructure

Recently, the Rural Municipality of Corman Park (RM) and English River First Nation (ERFN), through its business and investment arm, Des Nedhe Group, entered into an Indigenous Public Partnership, where the RM would receive wastewater treatment service from a treatment facility built on ERFN lands. ERFN built a multimillion-dollar wastewater facility using favourable financing rates obtained from the federal government and will be serving the RM's wastewater needs, providing development opportunities for the growing RM.¹

Indigenous Public Partnerships present opportunities for municipalities to consider placing certain public infrastructure, like water treatment plants, landfills and recreational facilities, into the hands of First Nations looking for reliable investment opportunities.