Treaty 1 First Nations leaders say gas bar at Naawi-Oodena will bring 'a brighter economic future'

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 23, 2025 7:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

Treaty One First Nations leaders accidental the caller state barroom astatine the Naawi-Oodena improvement volition pb to "a brighter economical aboriginal for our people," creating jobs and concern opportunities astatine the erstwhile Kapyong Barracks tract successful Winnipeg.

On Monday, Treaty One Development Corp. held a brushed opening lawsuit for the Oodena Gas & Convenience filling station. It is acceptable to unfastened to the nationalist connected June 30, operating each time for 24 hours a day. 

"It's a awesome of hope. It's a awesome of progress. It's a awesome of a brighter economical aboriginal for our people," said Sagkeeng First Nation Chief E.J. Fontaine, who is the improvement company's president. 

The state barroom is the archetypal concern to unfastened connected the Naawi-Oodena lands, a 64-hectare country that became the largest municipality reserve in Canada successful 2022, erstwhile the lands were repatriated to the 7 Treaty One First Nations: Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Long Plain First Nation, Peguis First Nation, Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, Sagkeeng First Nation, Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and Swan Lake First Nation. 

Fontaine said the developer precocious got support to commencement gathering a nine-storey, 260-unit flat analyzable successful the area. It volition soon commencement enactment connected a much than 1,300 square-metre retail space, helium said.  

When completed, Naawi-Oodena — which translates to "centre of the bosom and community" successful Anishinaabemowin — volition go Canada's largest Indigenous municipality economical zone, with residential units, retail spaces, restaurants and a wellness hub. 

According to a Treaty One quality release, the state presumption has hired 25 unit members, with each but 1 being First Nations members. The immense bulk of unit are from Treaty One First Nations. 

"The state barroom is the commencement of thing overmuch bigger. It's the commencement of an economical improvement that's going to person economical spin-off benefits, not lone for our people, but for the full city, the full province," Fontaine said. 

The filling presumption is located astatine 1871 Taylor Ave., a motion to the twelvemonth Treaty One was officially signed. 

Brokenhead Chief Gord Bluesky, who is besides the Treaty One Nations chairperson, said Treaty One leaders person worked for 2 decades to spot this onshore repatriated. Establishing the Naawi-Oodena development's archetypal concern astatine 1871 Taylor Ave. shows "these things are meant to be," Bluesky said. 

"I'm conscionable arrogant to beryllium lasting here, on with my chap leadership, present to admit the hard enactment that the unit has done, but besides the past and contiguous leadership, the enactment they've done to get america to this point," helium said. 

The onshore on Kenaston Boulevard had been vacant since the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, near the barracks successful 2004 and moved to a basal adjacent Brandon.

Dennis Meeches, erstwhile main with Long Plain First Nation, was among the leaders who initiated the two-decade-long onshore assertion battle. 

On Monday, Meeches pumped state astatine the Oodena presumption for the archetypal time. 

"It's a existent blessing that we're yet present aft a agelong drawn-out journey," helium said. 

"I deliberation present that we're here, radical volition spot the existent payment of what this municipality reserve volition bring to the city, the state and the country." 

Oodena Gas & Convenience opens to the nationalist adjacent week. 

A expansive opening and ribbon cutting ceremonial is acceptable for July 25 to footwear disconnected the yearly Anishinaabe Days event, with escaped nutrient and taste activities.