Eskasoni First Nation expands its reserve with the addition of 85 hectares of land.

Eskasoni First Nation, in collaboration with the federal government, has revealed an ‘Addition to Reserve’ initiative, augmenting the First Nations community’s land area by 85.5 hectares. Situated to the southeast of Eskasoni, the newly acquired land is located in the Benacadie/Castle Bay region.

 

The primary objective behind this land expansion is to provide space for prospective commercial developments, accommodate population growth, and foster economic advancement. Chief Leroy Denny of Eskasoni expressed satisfaction with the expeditious process of formally incorporating the land into the reserve, which was initially donated to Eskasoni in 2014.

“Around ten years ago, once this land was donated to us, we said we want this to be reserve land,” said Denny. “It’s a lot of work; it’s a big process you have to go through for an addition to reserve land. It sometimes takes 15, 20, 25 years to go through the process, so this was really quick.”

“ESKASONI IS OVERCROWDED”

“Eskasoni is overcrowded. We’re running out of space,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the upcoming strategic planning that the council and I will make for these lands, mainly commercial, industrial and residential subdivisions.”

Chief Leroy Denny says the space is desperately needed to accommodate the growing community.

Jaime Battiste, the Parliamentary Secretary and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria in the federal government, conveyed the announcement on the government’s behalf. He emphasized that fostering the development of First Nations communities aligns with the government’s vision of reconciliation.

“I’ve often been a part of these conversations around communities where families are set at each other because of the lack of places to live, lack of places to put housing. This is one small step along the journey of reconciliation to ensure that Eskasoni has the houses that we need to ensure for the growth that we foresee for this community,” said Battiste.

Battiste asserts that the expansion of land would not have been feasible without a substantial contribution from an individual holding a significant connection to nearly the entire community.

“I wouldn’t be able to make this announcement without the kind gift from Dr. Virick, who donated a large piece of this land to this community,” said Battiste. “He was the doctor who probably delivered half of the people in this room, if not all, including myself.”

The increase in land is made possible through a gracious donation from Dr. Mohan Virick, a dedicated family medicine practitioner with a longstanding commitment. Over his 67 years of service in Eskasoni, he has cared for multiple generations within families, spanning from grandparents to grandchildren.

“I have seen four generations of Grand Chief. I have looked over our Grand Chief’s (Norman Sylliboy) great-grandfather,” said Dr. Virick. “I’m proud of all the people who are sitting here, they’re my kids.”

“THIS IS MY REAL HOME”

Eskasoni boasts a registered population of approximately 4,760, and currently, around 4,000 individuals reside on the reserve. Dr. Virick notes that he has provided care for over 4,000 community members, underscoring his profound bond with Eskasoni and its residents.

robably some of my ashes will be parted here,” he said. “If I’m born again, I’ll probably have a band number.”

Dr. Virick, who immigrated to Canada as a young man from Myanmar, says Eskasoni will always feel like home.

“Every time I come here, I feel that this is my real home. I came here, I think, at 23. My whole life has passed here. My best memories are from this place,” he said. “What little contribution I made is a very small one, but I’ll be glad that people will be living there. They’ll be happy, and they’ll have children, they will love each other, and they will build.”