Continue to provide services to Indigenous peoples, including community infrastructure, emergency management, water, education, moneys and trusts, and registration.

What success looks like

Indigenous communities will have access to and benefit from quality community infrastructure including housing, water, schools and other forms of community infrastructure, and services (moneys and trusts, and registration).

Government's narrative on progress

**Water:** In January 2018, the scope of the commitment to resolve additional long-term drinking water advisories (LT-DWAs) was expanded. Through work done in partnership with First Nations communities and partners, the total number of LT-DWAs on public systems on reserve declined from 105 to 58 between November 2015 and March 13, 2019. Over this period, 82 LT-DWAs were lifted and 36 new LT-DWAs were added. The Government of Canada has committed $2.05 billion until 2020-2021 to strengthen water infrastructure on reserves. This includes $1.83 billion (plus $151.7 million for monitoring, not included in infrastructure funding) from Budget 2016, as well as $49.1 million to address long-term drinking water advisories on systems included as part of the expanded scope from Budget 2017. Budget 2018 builds on prior investments and reaffirms the government’s commitment by providing an additional $172.6 million over three years, beginning in 2018–2019, to improve access to clean and safe drinking water on reserve. Budget 2019 further supports ongoing efforts to eliminate and prevent long-term drinking water advisories by providing an additional $739 million over five years, beginning in 2019-20, with $184.9 million per year ongoing, funding urgent repairs to vulnerable water systems, and providing water operator training and support programs. As part of the Government of Canada commitment to ending all long-term drinking water advisories affecting public systems on reserve by 2021, the government is monitoring and ready to provide support on more than 1,000 public drinking water systems on reserve, if any additional drinking water advisories become long-term, or are at risk of becoming long-term. Work is ongoing in partnership with First Nations communities and an action plan is in place to address all LT-DWAs currently in effect. As of December 31, 2018, $867 million of the available targeted funding has been invested to support 505 water and wastewater projects in 582 First Nations communities serving approximately 458,000 people. A total of 191 of those projects are completed. The Government of Canada is also working with First Nations communities to ensure effective management and maintenance of existing water systems on reserve, as well as helping to ensure that new water infrastructure better meets the needs of communities. **Housing:** Investments in Indigenous housing from Budget 2016 and Budget 2017 are supporting the construction/renovation and servicing/acquisition of 16,122 units and lots (6,842 from Indigenous Services Canada and 9,280 (from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) in First Nations communities. As of December 31, 2018, 10,733 (67%) of the 16,122housing units and lots have been completed. With respect to Budget 2016 investments in Inuit housing, 183 new housing units were built in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. In addition, a co-developed Inuit Nunangat Housing Strategy was endorsed by Ministers and Inuit Leaders at the November 2018 meeting of the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee. Through investments made in Budget 2017 and Budget 2018, the government proposes dedicated funding to support the successful implementation of each of the distinctions-based housing strategies, including: •$600 million over three years to support housing on reserve as part of a 10-year First Nations Housing Strategy that is being co-developed with First Nations. First Nations leadership endorsed a draft strategy in December 2018. •$400 million over 10 years to support the Inuit Nunangat Housing Strategy in the Inuit regions of Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and Inuvialuit Settlement Region; •$240 million over 10 years announced in Budget 2017 to support housing in Nunavut; •The Inuit Nunangat Housing Strategy, co-developed with Inuit partners, and endorsed by the Inuit Crown-Partnership Committee in November 2018, will provide long-term vision and redirection for these investments; and, •$500 million over 10 years to support the Métis Nation’s housing strategy. **Schools:** The government is improving primary and secondary education on reserve by building and renovating school facilities thereby supporting the enhancement of the quality of language and cultural programs; and empowering communities to establish First Nations' planned and led education systems. As of December 31, 2018, and since April 2016, more than $364 million of targeted funding has been invested to support 174 school-related projects. This includes 73 new schools, 15 of which are completed, 85 renovations and upgrades, 31 of which are completed), and 16 feasibility studies and supporting projects. **Health facilities:**As of December 31, 2018, $238.8 million of targeted investments have been made to support 215 First Nations infrastructure projects to build and renovate health facilities such as nursing stations, health centres, acute care facilities, drug and alcohol treatment centres, as well as facilities hosting Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve (AHSOR) programming. Currently, 176 (85%) of these projects are complete. It should be noted that the apparent decrease in the number of projects from December to February is a result of changes to how projects are defined. Multiple projects that are associated with a single facility are now being counted as a single project. This approach more closely aligns with results that are meaningful to Canadians. **Emergency Management:** In 2016-2017, the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) invested $115.69 million to support First Nations in their efforts to prepare for, mitigate against, respond to and recover from emergency disasters. There were 115 emergency events affecting First Nation communities of which 37 caused evacuations involving approximately 6,668 evacuees (99.2% of whom have returned to their communities). For 2017-2018, EMAP invested $137 million, with $102.6 million of this for emergency response and recovery. There were 161 EMAP eligible emergency events affecting First Nation communities, of which 55 caused evacuations involving approximately 14,888 evacuees (99.94 % of whom have returned to their communities to date). For 2018-2019, forecasted expenditures for EMAP are approximately $164.8 million, with approximately $129.15 million of this for emergency response and recovery. Budget 2019 invested $259 million over five years, beginning in 2019-20, to help First Nations communities prepare for emergencies and better adapt to the threats of climate change. This investment includes $211 million over five years, beginning in 2019-20, with $49.4 million ongoing to support increased resiliency and emergency management on-reserve and $48.0 million over four years, starting in 2020–21, to renew funding for infrastructure projects on-reserve that will protect communities from climate related hazards. Budget 2019 also invested an additional $48 million over 5 years of targeted funds to ensure better disaster management preparation and response in Indigenous communities. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year (as of March 22, 2019), there have been 205 EMAP eligible emergency events affecting First Nation communities, of which 61 resulted in evacuations involving approximately 10,455 evacuees. Presently, four communities, or approximately 62 individuals, who were evacuated in 2018-2019, remain evacuated. As of March 22, 2019, the EMAP has supported the repatriation of 317 long-term evacuees from emergencies in 2018-2019. Presently, there remain 2,557 long term evacuees, of which 503 are receiving support through the Emergency Management Assistance Program, and 2,050 are receiving support through Public Safety Canada's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. **Land Use Planning:** Since 2016, over $18 million has been invested in Land Use Planning and related activities to support over 60 First Nation communities, which will support healthy and environmentally sustainable community development by ensuring infrastructure investments are planned and implemented in a manner that serves the short and long term needs and priorities of communities. **Moneys and Trusts:** In 2017-2018, the government processed 1,044 band moneys payment transactions totaling $180.9 million, 6,059 individual moneys payment transactions totaling $9.3 million, and 1,051 suspense account payment transactions totaling $5.6 million. To date, in 2018-2019, the government processed 1,207 band moneys payment transactions totaling $137.5 million, 5,482 individual moneys payment transactions totaling $8.39 million, and 1,053 suspense account payment transactions totaling $2.9 million. From January to December 2018, the government distributed $2,067,431 in treaty payments to 136,395 individuals at 340 Treaty payment events across Canada. **Registrations:** On December 22, 2017, the *Indian Act* was amended in response to the Superior Court of Quebec decision in Descheneaux v. Canada (Procureur général). Amendments to address the sex-based inequities in Indian registration going back to 1951 are currently being implemented to all applications, regardless of their submission date. Broader amendments that will remove sex-based inequities going back to 1869 will come into force at a later date after Canada has consulted with First Nations and other parties on how to implement the changes. **Estates:** Since April 2017, the government provided service to complete the administration for 8,401 decedent estates and opened the administration of 5,962 new decedent estates. Services were provided in the administration of 177 new Living estates.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.