Assembly of First Nations says $349B is needed to close infrastructure gap by 2030

FILE: National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Cindy Woodhouse during a media event in Saskatoon, Thursday, February 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

The Assembly of First Nations says decades of underfunding and failed fiduciary duties have created a $349-billion infrastructure gap.

The assembly says the gap desperately needs to be closed and is calling on the federal government for help in doing so.

The report out today calls for $135 billion for housing, $5 billion for digital connectivity and another $209 billion for other infrastructure.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to close the infrastructure gap by 2030, but the federal auditor general concluded earlier this year that it's only getting wider.

And the assembly, which advocates on behalf of more than 600 First Nations chiefs, says the cost will balloon if no action is taken now.

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, whose department helped pen the report, says Canada is still committed to closing infrastructure gaps in First Nations communities.

The assembly says investing in First Nations infrastructure will help communities improve their self-determination and socioeconomic outcomes, and reduce the gaps between First Nations and Canadians.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2024.