Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
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Backgrounder - Overview of the First Nations Infrastructure Fund (FNIF)
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The proposal-based FNIF will provide First Nations with the opportunity to access funds for community planning and skills development, waste management, roads and bridges and energy systems.
The total program funding of $131M, over five years represents a combination of funds from existing federal funding sources:
- The First Nations component of the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (including both Budget 2003 funding and the Budget 2006 top-up)
- The First Nations component of the Gas Tax Fund (announced Budget 2005)
- The Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program
The objectives of FNIF are to: improve health and safety of First Nation communities; contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment; improve the delivery of public services; and enhance collaboration between First Nation communities, municipalities, provinces, other federal departments and the private sector.
Communities in the three territories have received funding through the federal-territorial Gas Tax Fund and Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund agreements. The FNIF will supplement the department’s regular capital funding to improve infrastructure on reserves.
Overview of Indian and Northern Affairs Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program (CFMP)
The Capital Facilities and Maintenance (CFM) program supports the provision of funding for the acquisition, construction, operation and maintenance of community facilities, such as water and wastewater systems, education facilities, on-reserve housing, roads and bridges, administration offices, and the remediation of on-reserve contaminated sites.
The program invests approximately $1 billion per annum in First Nation infrastructure, with one-third of this amount allocated for infrastructure operation and maintenance.
Funding is also provided for training and capacity building.
Examples include: training for water and wastewater treatment plant operators, training related to housing, fire protection, physical development plans/capital plans, and infrastructure components of comprehensive community plans.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s Long-Term Capital Plan (LCTP) is a 5-year investment plan that accounts for and forecasts the department’s capital and operation and maintenance investments on-reserve. The LTCP further assists First Nations in creating healthy, safe and sustainable living conditions on -reserve by optimizing capital investments in a manner that assigns highest priority to those areas which mitigate the highest health and safety risks to First Nation communities across Canada.
CFM Program priorities are :
- protecting and maintaining the life cycle of existing assets;
- mitigating health and safety risks through existing and new assets;
- addressing the backlog of water and sewer projects under CFM activities; and
- other priorities including investments in sustainable communities (e.g., housing, electrification, roads, educational facilities, and community buildings.)
