Article content Garden River First Nation approved initial payout in its Robinson Huron Treaty settlement, providing a minimum of $110,000 to each registered citizen. This payout includes all citizens registered with Indigenous Services Canada as of Sept. 9, 2023, with totals roughly 3,300 people according to local Robinson Huron Treaty coordinator Robert Peace.
While this doesn’t account for the community’s overall settlement of approximately $610 million, more settlement money will be headed to Garden River down the line, with $200 million being allocated to a legacy trust. An additional $40-50 million is expected from the community’s “war chest fund” that was reduced from 10 per cent to five per cent of the $10-billion annuities settlement earlier this year. “This settlement is a significant milestone for our community,” Chief Karen Bell said in a Wednesday news release.
“We are dedicated to managing these funds responsibly and ensuring they benefit both current and future generations of Garden River First Nation.” Garden River is also hosting a series of community engagement sessions throughout this week to help guide members on how to use their settlement money wisely. Following a Wednesday evening workshop at the Garden River Community Centre, the community will also be hosting an in-person session at the Delta Hotel in Sault Ste.
Marie Thursday and a virtual session over Zoom Friday (both taking place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.
m.). “We are committed to kee.
