Chief Christine Longjohn spoke about the funding issue last month at the Treaty 6 150-year commemoration event at Fort Carlton. (Image Credit: Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

programs and services

Sturgeon Lake still seeking $4 million annually to fund birthing lodge

Sep 16, 2026 | 3:52 PM

Sturgeon Lake First Nation (SLFN) is still trying to find stable, long-term funding for its Shirley Bighead nihtāwikihāwasow and ohpikihāwasowkamik Birthing and Childrearing Lodge nearly five months after it opened.

Designed in accordance to the Inherent Birthing Law enacted by SLFN, the lodge will allow mothers from SLFN and surrounding communities to give birth with the proper processes of Cree ceremony. This will give mothers the opportunity to give birth surrounded by their family, people who speak their own language, all in a safe setting with midwives that have been trained both on and off the First Nation.

The First Nations is seeking $4 million in annual operations and maintenance funding and so far they haven’t been able to receive that through either the federal or provincial governments.

“Right now, we have one midwife and we know that we can’t have her there 24 hours, seven day per week and so we need a second midwife. There’s other additional staffing that we also require at the birthing lodge and the operation and maintenance costs as well. Right now, we’re running into deficit programming because our other programs are carrying the cost until we come to an agreement,” said SLFN Chief Christine Longjohn.

“During our construction phase, we talked about operations and maintenance and all of those needs. In good faith, we were told the funding would flow once the building was opening. We opened the building officially in April and still no funding has flowed.”

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An email to larongeNOW from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health stated while no commitment has been made between the two side yet, the province recognizes the importance of culturally grounded, community-led approaches to supporting maternal, child and family well-being.

To date, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) claims to have invested more than $20 million to the project, which includes funding for facility construction, operations, policy development, and programming.

An email from ISC to larongeNOW states it is providing $627,161 in funding annually to the lodge through Midwifery and Maternal Child Health programs, as well as an additional $58,496 annually to Sturgeon Lake through the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program.

Longjohn explained those funds were already flowing into the First Nation prior to the construction of the lodge and the dollars are already allocated.

“With the proper funding, there could be increased services delivered by the staff at the birth lodge and more programming and just reaching out the families that need it,” she said.

“Since the opening, we have had mothers and families coming to the lodge and so the need is there and we just need to be supported. Canada supported us in building this beautiful facility and we just need their continued support.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Sturgeon Lake still seeking $4 million annually to fund birthing lodge

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