Shoal Lake #40 First Nation’s new water treatment plant was built on time and on budget using an Indigenous-specific tender process that required companies to be majority First Nations-owned. The $33 million facility opened in September 2021, lifting a 24-year boil water advisory. It’s now providing water to more than 100 buildings in the First Nation and has capacity for new homes as the community grows.
The Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) has recognized Shoal Lake #40’s water treatment facility, and the opportunities it provided for local procurement and employment, with a 2022 Project of the Year Award for Small Municipalities and First Nations.
Read this CBC article to learn more about this innovative project, and the evaluation report our team in Thunder Bay is providing on the pilot procurement process.
