GLOOSCAP, N.S. – The Glooscap First Nation was recently named Community of the Year by the Cando Conference in Fredericton, N.B.
For Chief Sidney Peters, it’s a pretty big recognition of how far the community has come since its official establishment in 1986.
“As a small community, to be recognized in the First Nation world by the Canadian development officers across the country just shows how much advancement and how much we as a community are moving forward through economic development,” Peters said. “Economic development allows us to do a lot more community development because our funding is so limited that we receive from Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
He added that it's also great for the surrounding municipalities to see Glooscap First Nation is being recognized country-wide, not just in Nova Scotia.
The 24th Annual National Conference and Annual General Meeting saw close to 300 delegates take in a variety of workshops, presentations and panel discussions delivered by over 50 speakers.
Cando (Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers) is a federally registered, non-profit society that is Aboriginal controlled, community based, and membership driven.
This is the first time Glooscap First Nation has been recognized by the Cando Conference on a national level.
The award was presented to Peters following a vote by the delegates at the conference, which was held in Fredericton from Oct. 22-25.
“One of the reasons why we’ve been recognized is how proactively our communities move forward and aggressively with partnerships,” he said. “Having our house in order and understanding how important economic development will be for us to proceed in regards to being able to do community development.”
The ongoing Glooscap Landing project along Highway 101 is also a major aspect of the award, Peters said.
“For some communities, it might take 10 to 20 years to achieve something like this,” he said. “Really, we’ve been working on this… for only three and a half years from that to now. That shows the effort that went into this.”
Peters also referenced the community’s strategic planning and vision as a reason for the recognition.
