On January 9, 2001, the Government of Canada approved the Terms and Conditions of the First Nations Component of the Infrastructure Canada Program (ICP) which will be administered by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).

In addition to information about the ICP  provided on the About the ICP section, there are some aspects of the First Nations Component that are unique:

Program Details

Funding

The ICP allocation for the First Nations Component is $31.125 million for the period April 2001 to March 2003. With contributions from INAC, First Nations and other partners, the total infrastructure investments in First Nations communities will be in the order of $90 million.

ICP funds were allocated according to a formula that gives equal weight to population and unemployment, a formula the Government of Canada believes takes into account the economic status and investment needs of all regions.

On average, the ICP contributes one third of the cost of projects. The First Nations and INAC contribute the remaining funds, and in some instances, there may be private sector investments as well.

Priorities

The ICP’s first priority is green municipal infrastructure and at least 50 per cent of the total value of approved projects for First Nations must be invested in green projects. These include projects like improving the quality of the water and wastewater systems, and solid waste management.

Secondary priorities for the First Nations component include projects such as road improvements and tourism development.

Role of First Nations

First Nations propose projects to be funded under the First Nations component of the ICP. Regional project review committees established by INAC include representatives from First Nations organizations. Their level of involvement may vary from one regional office to another.

Joint First Nations / municipal projects

To allow for projects of a regional nature or where economies of scale could be achieved through the construction of joint facilities, a First Nation may, for example, partner with a neighbouring municipality and submit a joint application to INAC and their respective joint federal-provincial Management Committee. The joint project could receive a portion of its funding from the First Nations Component and the other portion from the federal-provincial funding agreement. These projects would follow separate approval tracks and the contribution to the municipal portion of the project would be funded from the federal-provincial allocation and the First Nations portion would be funded through the INAC allocation for this component.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact your local INAC regional office.

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