WAUZHUSHK ONIGUM — Community leaders are celebrating a significant funding boost from the province that will pave the way for a new arena and recreation complex.
On Monday, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford and Ontario’s Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden were in Wauzhushk Onigum, just outside of Kenora, to announce over $9 million for the 60,000 square-foot facility. Wauzhushk Onigum Chief Chris Skead told Newswatch in an interview that site preparation work will start this year, with construction slated to begin in spring 2026.
Skead said the community has been without an indoor rink for decades, and the new facility will fill a gap in what services the First Nation can offer.
“I felt that we had quite a loss,” he said. “Our children weren't playing hockey — through sports, through recreation, learning those life skills.”
Aside from the regulation-size ice surface, the planned facility also includes a running track, fitness space, community spaces and an Elder’s lounge.
The funding was delivered through the Ontario government’s community sport and recreation infrastructure fund, a $200 million pot that provincial officials say is used to fix up local sports and recreational facilities. Ignace recently got nearly $1 million from the fund to go towards fixing and upgrading the township’s aging arena.
“The investments we are recognizing today are serious game changers for families across Treaty 3 territory,” Rickford was quoted as saying in a media release announcing the funding for Wauzhushk Onigum, and several other projects.
“The new multi-purpose complex in Wauzhushk Onigum Nation is a powerful example of how we are advancing meaningful reconciliation and economic opportunity that will be felt across the region — all while improving access to sport and recreation for youth, families and future athletes."
Skead said the multipurpose centre site will be located behind what he called the community’s old lagoon system. The project also received $8.6 million in federal funding, according to a media release issued by Ottawa in December 2024.
Skead said it will have a positive impact in the community.
“To me, with this announcement, which now allows us to move forward on our community wellness centre, and that's exactly what it is,” Skead said. “It's for the community and all of the wellness that's going to come out of it — the mental health, the physicality of it.”
He said there’s also the possibility of using the facility in the summer months as a place where people fleeing forest fires can take emergency shelter, with Wauzhushk Onigum potentially acting as a host community.
“With climate change and all of that, it seems like there's been a lot of evacuations happening in regards to a lot of the forest fires that are kind of been rolling out of control in the province,” he said.
Overall, Skead said he’s excited about the project.
“We had a great turnout of membership come and support the announcement and it was all smiles,” Skead said of Monday’s announcement.
“It was a great day for us in my community today.”
