Residents of Sandy Bay, Manitoba, now have an opportunity to train for construction trades through a Treaty One Development Corporation (T1DC) initiative delivered via the Naawi-Oodena Workforce Initiative (NOWI). The program is designed to prepare local youth and adults for jobs at the Naawi-Oodena development site in Winnipeg, which is entering a major infrastructure phase in early 2026. The initiative is intended to create a local-first workforce so that Treaty One members are prioritized for job opportunities as the former Kapyong Barracks land is transformed into a new urban reserve and mixed-use development.
The training covers pre-apprenticeship skills such as bricklaying, carpentry and heavy equipment operation, along with essential site-safety certifications (for example, WHMIS and fall-protection). Applications were being accepted throughout January 2026, and partner First Peoples Development Inc. (FPDI) lists a Carpentry pre-apprenticeship intake beginning April 27, 2026. The initiative broadly targets Indigenous youth (commonly identified as ages 18–29) as well as adult members from Sandy Bay, Long Plain and Swan Lake First Nations.
Technical instruction is being delivered both at the Manitoba Building Trades Institute in Winnipeg and at community-based satellite sites. The Sandy Bay ISETS office in the Crane Building serves as the local hub where residents can learn about application steps and available travel supports and financial assistance to help with commuting or participation.
The initiative is supported in part by federal funding announced in August 2025: the Government of Canada said total federal investment for Naawi-Oodena planning, training and site development is approximately $5.5 million. Organizers say the goal is to build a local workforce so the economic benefits of large construction projects remain within the Treaty One Nations and to qualify community members for stable construction jobs on one of the province’s largest urban development projects.
