SEINE RIVER FIRST NATION – In the centre of the Seine River reserve, next to the community gym, there’s the local library.
Open Monday to Thursday, 1 to 7 p.m., it’s a place to borrow books, movies (on DVD and – believe it or not – VHS) and CDs.
The library has “lots of books, mainly through donations,” co-librarian Susan Johnson said Friday.
It also has community-access computers and musical instruments that First Nation members can borrow.
The library’s not as busy as it was before household internet connection became common, Johnson said, “but we do have our regulars that come in.”
This week, the Seine River institution is among dozens of First Nations libraries across Ontario benefiting from a recently announced $1.25-million boost in the province’s annual funding to them.
The Ontario government supports First Nations libraries through the First Nation Salary Supplement (FNSS) and Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) programs.
Annual FNSS allocations will increase to support the retention and hiring of librarians and support staff. PLOG allocations for First Nations libraries will double, with a minimum annual grant of $1,500 per eligible library provided to help ensure stable operations, according to a government news release.
“First Nations public libraries are vital community hubs that provide residents of all ages with access to supports promoting success in school, enable skills development, and reinforce and revitalize cultural identity,” Stan Cho, the province’s culture minister, said in the release.
“This investment, the first of its kind in more than 25 years, underscores our government’s continued efforts to ensure communities across Ontario have the critical infrastructure in place to empower their residents to learn, grow and thrive.”
The funding boost “is part of our government’s commitment to ensuring that reconciliation becomes a reality for Indigenous families and community members,” said Greg Rickford, Indigenous affairs minister and MPP for Kenora-Rainy River.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming said libraries in four other Treaty 3 First Nations – Big Grassy, Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) 39, Onigaming and Wabauskang – received program funding support from the province in the last fiscal year.
