Pays Plat Community Update, 2023

Pays Plat is a tiny community of less than 100 people on the north shore of Lake Superior. It was designated as an Indian reservation during the signing of the Robinson Treaty act with just 1 square mile of land. However the treaty remained unsigned with the people in the area and is still awaiting a final agreement after an agreement in principle was signed in 2009. 

Earlier in the year, LJI Journalist Kim Krause met up with former chief and current councillor Raymond Goodchild for an informal tour of the village and its surrounds. It turns out that this tiny town has more going on than most of the larger communities surrounding it. 

During the road trip tour at least 6 projects were underway or nearing completion with more coming in the following years.

The first stop was the Band office where CEO John Szura provided an update on some of the activities of Pays Plat.

The first item on his list was the updates to the water plant. Pays Plat is very fortunate to have access to clean drinking water and the plant maintenance is a top priority for the chief and council.

There is a planned upgrade to the community hall which might be started by the spring of next year due to weather concerns. As Raymond Goodchild mentioned, the community is growing and the centre is an important element for the people living there. While touring the site, Julianna Kabatay, Raymond’s daughter gave an update on a project her mother Linda has been supervising for a few years. The Healthy Snacks program provides nutritional snacks for school kids as they board the busses for school.

One very big project happening on the door steps of Pays Plat is the rerouting and improvements to a large section of the highway known as 19 hill. As John explained, the band office realized the importance of having an economic development team overseeing projects in the area and highway improvement has become one of the largest projects they are involved in. During construction, materials are moved onto a site at the back of the village where large chunks of rock are reduced to gravel and further refined to sand. This has opened up a brand new industry for the area. The highway improvement is scheduled for completion in summer of 2024. 

The Pawgwasheeng Economic Development Corporation (PEDC), works as a separate entity in co-operation with the chief and council and one of their earlier efforts was to take over the management of the only gas station/ convenience store on the highway. When the previous owner was about to retire, PEDC stepped in to run it and was able to invest in expanding the shop. The store employs residents and features a small conference area in the building. Current manager Jesse Achneepineskum talked to Schreiber Media Centre about his hopes and plans for the future of the store. 

During the tour, Raymond stopped by the newly installed dock that allows for easier access to the water for boats and kayaks. Funding was established after arguments were made about the importance of tourism in the area. 

Pays Plat has recently added housing to their list of priorities for the residents. A brand new six unit housing project consists of three townhouses built by local contractors and residents. Right next door to these new homes is the brand new kids park which replaces the old unsafe park that was badly located too close to the highway and provides additional recreation for the many young people residing in the area. It was built on previously unused land. 

A brand new attraction is being completed this year that will allow tourists and residents access to a medicine trail. A raised boardwalk is being built that follows along the shore for more than a kilometer. The trail will feature information placards about the healing properties of the plants that can be found along the trail. Hand rails were also added to make for an easier experience for older people and will eventually be extended where it will link up with the pow wow grounds.

Finally, John Szura talked about the scheduling and importance of the traditional Pow Wow event that is held every July. Pow Wow draws many visitors from across the country and the United States.