Budget 2026, released by Ottawa yesterday, includes $50 billion in Indigenous investments over ten years, but still falls short of closing the infrastructure gap.
That was estimated by the Assembly of First Nations to be at about $375 billion.
About $32 billion of the new promise will go towards housing and infrastructure.
The largest chunk of that, $18.5 billion, will create a First Nations On-Reserve Infrastructure Program.
It would cover things like roads, health centres, water treatment infrastructure, and schools.
Earlier this Fall, the AFN released a report showing 77 on-reserve schools were in need of immediate replacement, and 225 were overcrowded.
The other $18 billion will be delivered over 6 years for services like education, policing and health care.
In total, the budget includes $142 billion in new spending and revenues of $159 billion.
It predicts a 2026-27 deficit of $62 billion, decreasing over the next five years.
Northern BC
On top of the Indigenous investments, the new Federal budget also has some major funding for Northern BC in other areas.
That includes $6.5 billion to transform the struggling forestry sector, and $2.3 billion for a critical minerals strategy.
About $150 million in total will also help support recovery in Tumbler Ridge after February’s mass shooting.
That will go towards an already announced new school and health centre.
Nearly $4 billion will fund a plan to restore pacific salmon populations in both BC and the Yukon.
And $25 billion will fund the major project office’s projects of national interest.
Both projects to receive the designation are in BC, and most on the list awaiting approval are in the northwest.
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