First Nations Losing Jordan's Principle Programs
First Nations across Canada are experiencing a loss of Jordan's Principle programs due to reduced funding.
Funding for Jordan's Principle services decreased from $1.72 billion in 2023-24 to $1.64 billion in 2024-25.
Onigaming First Nation in northern Ontario, under a state of emergency since 2024 due to high death rates, including suicides, is among those affected.
“Just in the past four years, we’ve had 46 deaths. That’s roughly about 5 per cent of our population overall,”
said Chief Jeff Copenace. The community had been running programs to address mental health issues, including crisis response teams and an after-hours safety team.
- Crisis response teams
- An after-hours safety team patrolling homes and the community at night to ensure resident safety, especially for children and youth
Author's summary: First Nations face reduced funding for Jordan's Principle programs.