Feds, Treaty One Nations announce funding for Naawi-Oodena development
Posted August 21, 2025 5:13 pm.
Leaders from Treaty One Nations and the federal government were on hand at Oodena Gas and Convenience on Thursday to announce federal funding to advance design and infrastructure planning for the next phase of development of Naawi-Oodena, Canada’s largest urban reserve.
“We will invest another $789 thousand to cover the costs of infrastructure design for blocks B through E, the next steps of this wonderful development. This work will enable site servicing design, engineering, surveying, and an opinion on probable cost,” said Mandy Gull-Masty, the federal Minister of Indigenous Services.
This comes after the feds previously gave $4 million in funding to the recently opened gas bar, the first development on Block A.
Chief Gordon Bluesky of Treaty One says the funding will go towards underground infrastructure needed to improve leasing opportunities in the remaining 101 acres of developable land on the reserve.
“The roads, the lighting, the infrastructure, the water and sewer, from our perspective, these lands become more valuable having that type of infrastructure, it allows for us to lease at a higher rate,” said Chief Gordon Bluesky, a chairperson for Treaty One Nations.
The federal government will cover 45 per cent of the design and infrastructure planning.
“All our other sources are coming from debt financing through the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, and also our own source revenue,” said Chief Bluesky.
“It’s been a long time coming to where we have a federal government that wants to come in here and partner and invest in seeing this place being successful.
According to Treaty One, the next development on Block A, which will be located right next to the gas station, will begin construction at the beginning of the fall.
“Our next development is going to be a strip mall right there where the PCL construction site is currently located, so we’ll be mobilizing that site to the other part of the property, and that will become a strip mall. And that construction is going to start in a few weeks,” said Kathleen Bluesky, the CEO of Treaty One Development Corporation.
