Ottawa considers changes that would open door to more lending for First Nations – The Globe and Mail
The federal government says it is considering a parliamentary committee’s recommendation for Ottawa to work with First Nations agencies on a pilot project that would use financing raised on public markets to pay for replacing diesel power in remote communities.
The project is one of the suggestions contained in a recent report from the House of Commons standing committee on Indigenous and northern affairs. It would involve a concept called “monetization,” under which Indigenous communities would use long-term loans to pay for infrastructure instead of depending on annual federal funds. First Nations agencies say the new funding model could help tackle chronic infrastructure backlogs.
