SASKATOON — Meadow Lake Tribal Council Chief Jeremy Norman is wondering why infrastructure that could help northern communities, mainly paved roads, that could speed up response times of emergency personnel and other first responders, isn't a priority.
Norman told SaskToday that there was one incident in which an ambulance responding to a patient who had suffered a heart attack got stuck in a muddy road after two days of rain, delaying the patient's admission for first aid. He, however, did not mention what happened to the patient.
“You're not going to find a big community complex facility for our youth. You know, you're not going to find even a paved road. You'd better be driving a 4X4 [vehicle], because that's how our roads are in a lot of our communities,” said Norman.
He added that their territory is rich in natural resources, which would boost both the provincial and federal governments’ economy, but their communities continue to face underinvestment in basic infrastructure, such as paved roads and healthcare facilities for their elderly.
“There are a lot of resources in northern Saskatchewan. It is rich in minerals that can contribute to the economy. But the road conditions in specific communities are terrible. You visit a community of 2,000 people, and you’re not going to find a long-term healthcare facility,” added Norman.
“Yes, we're very rich in resources. But where's that money? It's not being spent on our roads; it's not being spent building our communities. Our people, when they get old, have to go down to the south, like in Kindersley or Rosetown.”
He said they don’t expect that to happen the other way, where people from Rosetown would move to a northern community, like the Clearwater River Dene Nation, to live out the final days of their lives, since it would be unheard of.
“So, why don’t we have the same things as those in little towns? Sometimes these towns are smaller than First Nations [communities]. We’re rich in resources, so we should be rich as well, added Norman.
Meadow Lake has a mining industry that mines minerals such as zinc, copper, and uranium. The area is also rich in potash, oil and natural gas.
