OTTAWA —
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to use his Rideau Cottage address on Thursday to offer additional funding to Indigenous people who may be experiencing additional challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money is expected to be offered to Indigenous people living off-reserve and is set to include funding for community-based projects such as those aimed at providing access to food, transportation, educational materials or mental health services.
As has been the case with several recent announcements, however, the details of where the funding will go or who will qualify could take time to be sorted out.
This comes the Congress of Aboriginal People — which represents the interests of off-reserve Indigenous people in Canada — filed a federal court application alleging the federal government’s COVID-19 assistance has been “inadequate and discriminatory,” compared to other groups.
The organization says the government has “abandoned its fiduciary responsibility towards a significant number of Indigenous peoples during this pandemic.”
On March 18, the government created a $305 million Indigenous Community Support Fund, which included $15 million for regional, urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations.
