First Nations determined to land dialysis unit here

Having already raised about $400,000, Rainy River First Nation Chief Jim Leonard said he’s certain the Aboriginal Dialysis Acquisition Drive will reach its goal soon.
“We will definitely get it. Our goal is $500,000 and it will be raised,” he stressed Tuesday.
Starting in early February, the campaign–chaired by Chief Leonard–has focused on raising money for a dialysis unit within the 10 First Nations in the district and related organizations, including the Sunset Country Métis.
It recently branched out to accept donations from non-aboriginal contributors.
“I want to make it clear that the unit will definitely be located at La Verendrye [hospital]–it will be for everyone,” Chief Leonard pledged.
As more funds come in from events such as Saturday’s “monster” bingo at the Couchiching Bingo Palace, Chief Leonard is now looking to arrange meetings with both the federal and provincial governments to make the dialysis unit a reality.
“The dialysis unit will cost about $1 million. Once we have the $500,000, we will ask the federal government to match it,” he explained.
“Once we get that, we’ll join hands with Riverside to ask the province to help with the $500,000 annual operating cost,” he added.
A meeting already is being scheduled with local MP Robert Nault, also the minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
Wayne Woods, CEO of Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. here, is thrilled at the prospect of getting a dialysis unit it has been lobbying for for years.
Admitting he wasn’t aware of the acquisition drive by area aboriginal communities until late last month, Woods noted it was a “pleasant surprise.”
“I talked to Jim about the project and I think it’s excellent,” he enthused.
But Woods stressed he’s being realistic about how soon such a unit could become operational.
“Even if they do get the money, it’s still up to the province as to when it can be done,” he remarked. “First, there’s the purchase, and then we’ll have to deal with the ministry to get an operating fund through Thunder Bay Regional Hospital.”
Chief Leonard traced the campaign’s origins back to December during a meeting between area aboriginal leaders like Couchiching Chief Chuck McPherson.
“We were talking around the table about how we could tackle this problem and broke it down into two parts,” he recounted. “One, look at the capital acquisition of a dialysis unit, and two, look at diabetes from a long-term perspective, with education and so on.”
Citing the Harris government’s 1995 statement that everyone in the province should be able to get dialysis services close to home when they need them, Chief McPherson said the need here can’t wait any longer.
“Many are faced with renal failure,” he stressed. “They, like other residents of the district, are forced to travel several times a week to Thunder Bay or Kenora to obtain life-sustaining dialysis services.
“We don’t consider Thunder Bay or Kenora ‘close to home,’” he said.
Donations may be made to Manitou Mounds Foundation (In Trust). A charitable tax receipt will be issued to those requiring it.