Saugeen First Nation Chief, Vernon Roote, performed a smudging ceremony at Bruce Power’s Aboriginal Day celebrations Monday. National Aboriginal Day was Tuesday, June 21.

Bruce Power welcomed community members of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) to site Monday to celebrate Aboriginal Day with employees through traditional dancing, drumming, art, culture and food.

Hosted by Bruce Power’s Aboriginal Network, an employee group that shares culture and promotes involvement in the success of the company, Aboriginal Day allowed employees an opportunity to meet residents of the Chippewas of Saugeen and Nawash Unceded First Nations and learn their traditions.

Bruce Power’s 2,300-acre site sits on the traditional lands of the SON and the company works closely with these communities.

During the on-site celebrations, Bruce Power announced significant donations to the communities through our Aboriginal Community Investment Fund. The company pledged $44,000 to health and wellness initiatives at Saugeen First Nation, which will provide individual counselling for people in crisis, while two community engagement sessions will discuss healing and healthy living.

Positive health and mental wellness is a need in all communities including First Nations, said Kevin Kelly, Bruce Power’s Acting President and Chief Financial Officer.

“This includes physical fitness, emotional wellness, intellectual health and spiritual well-being,” Kelly said. “Holistic health of this nature is necessary for communities to achieve self-sufficiency, accompanied by genuine pride, mutual aid and belonging to a community of care.”

Saugeen First Nation Chief, Vernon Roote said this initiative is important to the community.

“This initiative will support the understanding of mental health and its importance as we heal and continue to grow as a people,” Roote said. “The support from Bruce Power will help make a difference in our community’s efforts to increase awareness around healthy living and overall wellness.”

Bruce Power also announced a $28,000 donation to a Youth Symposium being held August 15 to 17 at Cape Croker Park, on the Nawash Unceded First Nation. Youth from 30 First Nation communities will honour their relationships with each other, the land and communities at the event, while being empowered to speak on issues affecting youth now and into the future, said Chief Greg Nadjiwon.

“I am a strong believer that action is stronger than words, and I feel my community’s relationship with Bruce Power has definitely moved in the direction of respect,” said Nadjiwon. “The support for our Youth Symposium is sure to pay dividends by allowing our youth to expand their vision and ability to network; provide the tools for them to problem solve and promote an educational agenda with the priorities as they see them.”

Mary Spencer, a world champion boxer from Nawash, will be one of a number of speakers at the event, while cultural teachings with Elders, medicine walks and topics such as life promotion (suicide prevention), healthy lifestyles, addictions and healing will also be part of the symposium.