Glooscap First Nation uses government tender system for $10M power centre

NovaScotia Mi'kmaq bands are tapping into the provincial government'stendering system in an effort to attract more bids and save money.

Last month, GlooscapFirst Nation used the system to call forconstruction tenders ona $10-million power centre development nearHantsport.

Chief Sidney Peters says it's about saving money and being moreaccountable. Posting to the government tender site attracted up tofive times more bidders than expected.

"We are finding from these bids, they are very competitive and it lookslike the quality of the work will be tremendous," Peters said in aninterview at the office of Glooscap Landing.

Overhaul

The power centre development is part of atransformation at the tinyGlooscapband,which has about 80 people living on reserve andseveral hundred living off.

The change started with greatertransparency, including a salary review for councillors, jobdescriptionsfor staff and an overhaul of band administration.

Glooscapbecame notorious several years agofor huge chief andcouncillor salaries and a lack of accountability.That included onecouncillor who made nearly $1 million in salary andconstruction contracts with Glooscap in one year.

'People wanted more transparency'

"When we came in as a new chief and council, we listened to the people.The people wanted more transparency. They wanted to be accountableand they wanted jobs," Peters said.

The band bought and is clearing 11 hectares of land on BenJackson Road adjacent to Highway 101 at Hantsport.It first issued tenders to connect sewer lines to what will be a Tim Hortonsand gasbar.

Joining the government tender system is part of the move to greatertransparency.

It required the band to follow the same guidelines used by allorganizations that use the service. That includes posting relevantaward information, responding to all enquiriesand providing supplierfeedback.

Good quality work

"We think having gone this route is going to benefit us as a FirstNation because we know we have to be transparent with what dollarswe are spending. We want to ensure we have good quality work," Peters said.

Labi Kousoulis, Nova Scotia's minister of internal services,said afterGlooscap approached the province it made sense to open the governmenttender system to all bands.

"If one saw benefit to it, we should offer it to all," Kousoulis said.

The bands are not obligated to use the provincial tender system for all theirpurchases but when they do, they must agree to the government'sprocurement rules.

"One of the criteria we put to Glooscap, and will put to all of ourFirst Nation partners, if they follow this process they must makethemselves available to any bidders that are not successful to have adebriefing as to why they were not successful so they can have agreater chance of success in future," Kousoulis said.