Garden River First Nation Capital Planning Study
1 Introduction
1.1 General
This Terms of Reference (TOR) is used by Garden River First Na on as an invita on to submit an o er for professional services for the Garden River First Na on (GRFN): Capital Planning Study (CPS). This TOR describes the scope of work the Consultant is expected to perform in undertaking this CPS.
The Consultant will be selected through a compe ve proposal process in response to this TOR. Proposals are requested at this me, followed by the evalua on, selec on, and award of contract. The Project Team reserves the right to cancel the ac vity or change the schedule at any me.
Request for Proposal Issued: April 26, 2024
Last day for Consultant Ques ons: May 17, 2024 @ 3:00PM local me
Proposals due: May 22, 2024 @ 3:00PM local me
Award Contract: Consul ng Engineers of Ontario (CEO) and Municipal Engineers Associa on (MEA) Professional Services Agreement
The Project Team shall be the Evalua on Team involved in the review and selec on of the Consultant.
However, the contract will be between the Consultant and Garden River First Na on.
1.2 Location and Background
The Garden River First Na on (GRFN) reserve occupies a 149 sq km parcel of land located immediately east of the City of Sault Ste. Marie extending along the north shore of St. Mary’s River and connec ng it to the Township of Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Addi onal in the province of Ontario. As of 2023, there is around 3,300 registered Indians in GRFN. 2,300 of which are registered band members and 1,144 are residing on reserve, mostly residing at the Ojibway Subdivision, Garden River Village, Pushqualk Subdivision, the vicinity around Point Charles Road and along the shores of St. Mary’s River.
It is governed by a Council consis ng of a Chief and eight (8) Councilors. Each Councilor is appointed to and is responsible for a por olio(s). A General Council mee ng is held monthly along with regular working mee ngs to oversee administra ve ma ers. The Chief and Council is elected on a four-year term in accordance with the First Na ons Elec on Act.
GRFN administers a variety of programs and services and employs approximately 200 people. Various department managers oversee their individual programs and overall administra ve du es are overseen by a Chief Administra ve O cer who is directly responsible to the Council who in turn, are responsible to the membership.
The principal o ce is the Administra on O ce centrally located in the community and surrounded by the Community Center, Health Center, Fire Hall, Public Works Garage, and the Anishinabek Police Services Headquarters.
Other community facili es located on-reserve are the Ojibway Tent and Trailer Park, Healing Lodge, Aggregates Division, Lands and Estates facility, Bingo Hall, Recrea on and Educa on Facility, Baseball Field, and the Garden River Development Corpora on Center. All facili es cater to the needs of the Band’s membership.
In 1990, the latest capital planning study was conducted to develop feasible solu ons to upgrade
exis ng infrastructures and iden fy future development and servicing for the community, subject to the review and approval of the Chief and Council.
Appendix I shows the community site plan, for reference. For more informa on, you may visit the Garden River First Na on website at www.gardenriver.org.
1.3 Existing Infrastructure
The following subsec ons give a brief overview of the community’s exis ng infrastructure.
1.3.1 Housing
Housing se lements in the community are located at four main areas – the Ojibway Subdivision, Garden River Village, Pushqualk Subdivision, and the vicinity around Point Charles Road.
The Ojibway Subdivision is one of the oldest residen al areas in the community emerging since 1970s with 135 houses to date. It is in the western part of the community, speci cally across from the GRFN Bingo Hall and Recrea on Centre wherein it is accessible from Syre e Lake Road and Moccasin Street.
The Garden River Village is situated in the central area of the community with 54 houses and is located near the Administra on O ce, Community Hall, and other landmarks men oned above. To the west of this se lement is Point Charles Road, separated by a stream to St. Mary’s River. Approximately 34 houses currently reside in this area, close to the Sacred grounds area.
On the opposite side of the Garden River Village, across Highway 17B, lies the Pushqualk Subdivision where 107 houses and the Anishinabek Police Headquarters are located. It is accessible from Ballpark Road and Sweetgrass Street coming from Highway 17B, or Noonday Road from Highway 17A.
The other se lement areas are spread along Highway 17B by the shores of St. Mary’s River, around Echo River Road, and Anishinaabe Point Road, fron ng the Ojibway Tent and Trailer Park, with approximately 161 houses combined.
GRFN has held the vision of u lizing innova ve housing solu ons to meet the diverse needs of community members. A 10-Year Housing Plan was conducted in 2017 to priori ze the development of GRFN housing ini a ves. To date, there are 491 houses in the community, 156 are band-owned under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpora on (CMHC) Sec on 95 program.
There are two ongoing housing developments that GRFN is working on, Tiny Homes and Transi onal Housing. Both consist of rental units located along Belleau Lake Road and Ballpark Road, respec vely. Tiny Homes is a 10-unit Phase 1 development intended for young professionals who wish to start a family or come back to the community. Transi onal Housing is designed for individuals or families that have been vic ms of abuse and are on the journey to transi on to a be er life.
1.3.2 Water
Water to the community is provided by two separate systems. One system, the Pump House (Band O ce), has two wells, a reservoir, high li pumps, chlorina on, direct drive re pump and high li pumps. The second system, the Echo River Pumphouse, is a small facility with a well, reservoir, horizontal centrifugal pump (high li ) and chlorina on.
1.3.3 Wastewater
All facili es and housing units in GRFN have their own sep c system. These are individual units, therefore maintenance along with other concerns are handled on a per occurrence basis.
1.3.4 Solid Waste
The exis ng community land ll site located north of Highway 17A, along Jardun Mine Road, is in fair condi on and could use waste management ini a ves such as contaminated site assessments. Waste collec on currently consists of curbside pick-ups from individual households, with the waste being directed straight to the land ll. Addi onally, there is a temporary transfer sta on near the Aggregates Division consis ng of various dumpsters for speci c materials. These dumpsters are transported to the land ll as needed.
The community is par cipa ng in a Blue Box program, encouraging residents to segregate their recyclables accordingly. Washed containers should be deposited into a clear plas c bag, while bers are to be placed in the designated blue bin provided for this purpose. This ini a ve aims to streamline recycling e orts and promote sustainable prac ces within the community.
1.3.5 Roads
Entering Garden River from the neighboring city of Sault Ste. Marie to the west, the route diverges into two main highways – Highway 17A and Highway 17B. Highway 17A was developed in the late 1990s, stretching from the Garden River and Sault Ste. Marie boundaries to the southern limits of the Township of Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Addi onal, where Highway 17B was tradi onally the main highway corridor in the area, traversing through the various Garden River se lement areas.
Other rural style roads throughout the community are two-way, generally gravel surface where some are paved, and are maintained year-round in the community. Remote roads are not maintained year-round.
1.3.6 Drainage
Two primary waterways, Echo River and Root River, traverse through the area, contribu ng to the overall drainage network of Garden River. The community’s drainage system is designed with a combina on of essen al components such as ditches, surface drainage, culverts, and waterways to manage water ow e ec vely. Individual lots implement on-site controls, featuring their own perimeter ditching to regulate water runo . Generally, GRFN’s topography slopes southward, facilita ng a natural drainage system, with pervious sandy soils in most areas.
1.3.7 Power and Gas Lines
The community is served by Algoma Power Inc (formerly known as Great Lakes Power) and Hydro One with 33kV lines and 230kV transmission lines, respec vely. The 33 kV lines run from the western boundary of Garden River to the eastern boundary along the Highway 17B corridor, traversing subdivisions and o -road paths that connect to various proper es. These lines power single-phase transformers that deliver power to residen al, commercial, band-owned o ces, and business en es within the First Na on.
Band-owned o ces and businesses, including the Administra on O ce, Community Centre, Daycare, Wellness Centre, Public Works, Dan Pine Healing Lodge, Lands and Resources, Bingo Hall, Golf Course, Truss Opera ons, Educa on and Recrea on Centre, have entered into solar MicroFit contracts. Under these agreements, the producers receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate and supply to the province’s electricity grid over a 20-year term.
As the community con nues its energy ini a ves, there are ongoing plans for a net-metering system to be installed at Ojibway Park in 2024. This entails a 50 kW system and o -grid solar systems on the park gatehouse, pavilion, shower house, change rooms, and outhouses. The purpose of these installa ons is to o set the energy consump on of the park’s administra ve buildings and the usage by customers at the powered lots.
The community’s gas lines, provided by Enbridge Gas Inc., extend from the western boundary to the east, with the alignment in uenced by certain waterways and river systems within the territory. Recently, there has been an expansion of the gas line infrastructure on Belleau Lake Road to accommodate future projects. Addi onal expansion to areas within the First Na on that are not serviced by natural gas is being considered. To date, Silver Creek Golf Course, Lands and Resources, Ojibway Park, and Dan Pine Healing Lodge remain unserved by natural gas. The development of gas infrastructure in these areas is essen al to ensure comprehensive coverage and accessibility throughout the community.
In 2020, an update to the Indigenous Community Energy Plan was created to further advance energy conserva on ini a ves by exploring technological opportuni es aimed at managing community energy needs.
1.3.8 Fire Protection
Behind the Administra on O ce lies the Fire Hall, fully equipped with re gh ng engines, bunkers, wildland re gear, cascade systems, and other essen al tools. The GRFN Fire Department responds to services such as res, motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, hazmat spills, medical emergencies, public service calls and is dedicated to promo ng re safety, public educa on, and preven on. Their du es also include protec ng both private and public business establishments that range from small to large opera ons, and all Band-owned buildings such as works garages, police sta ons, churches, golf course, bingo hall, recrea on center, etc.
GRFN is fortunate to have re hydrants situated throughout the community that help combat emergencies as they arise. Currently, the Fire Department team consists of six full- me employees and 4 part- me and casual re ghters. The emergency rst response team are trained and covered under the
Ministry of Health (MOH) Ontario, fully equipped with a comprehensive set of medical response equipment, along with a rst response ambulance provided by the MOH.
1.4 Previous Studies
The following documents will be made available for Consultant review:
- Community Needs and Viability Assessment for Transi onal Housing (2022) Solid Waste Management System Planning Study (2021)
- Indigenous Community Energy Plan Update (2021) Water Distribu on Analysis (2020)
- Asset Condi on Repor ng System Inspec ons (2019) 10-Year Housing Plan (2017)
- Zoning Law (2015)
- Land Use Plan (2013)
- Community Capital Planning Study (1990)
