October 17, 2024 — Calgary, Territory of Treaty 7 (Alberta) — Indigenous Services Canada and Piikani Nation
Schools are often the cornerstone of First Nations communities, providing students with a safe place to learn and grow, and serving as a gathering place for community events and cultural activities. Chief Troy Knowlton, leaders of the Piikani Nation, the Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honorable Patty Hajdu, and the Peigan School Board Corporation today announced the construction and improvement of school facilities in the Piikani Nation, so that young people have the tools they need to learn.
Minister Hajdu and community leaders today announced funding for the new school to be built on the First Nation. This new school will allow 600 students, from kindergarten to grade 12, to learn, grow and connect.
The current school was built more than 60 years ago and parts of the aging facility can no longer be repaired. This project reaffirms the Government of Canada’s ongoing work to support critical infrastructure in Indigenous communities and to ensure that all children on reserves have access to high-quality, culturally appropriate education.
Thanks to an investment by Indigenous Services Canada, the new school will allow students who go to school off the reserve to access education adapted to their culture, with typically Blackfoot programs, and will provide spaces which will better meet the needs of the community and its young people.
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