Chief Darcy Bear appointed to Order of Canada
Chief Darcy Bear has been appointed to the Order of Canada.
He is one of the 114 appointments announced by the governor general on Friday.
Bear is being recognized for his “visionary leadership of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, and for creating economic and social development opportunities for his community.”
He was reelected as chief for an eighth consecutive term in 2016. Whitecap is located 26 kilometres south of Saskatoon.
Some of the economic development projects that have taken place under Bear’s tenure include the development of the Dakota Dunes Casino, the Dakota Dunes Golf Links and the ongoing development of a light industrial park.
- Whitecap Chief Darcy Bear wins lifetime achievement award
- Whitecap Dakota First Nation signs framework agreement for treaty with Canada
- Economic development key to reconciliation, say First Nations leaders
As chief, he has also overseen the construction of a new elementary school and expanded public infrastructure, and brought in high speed internet and new housing for Whitecap.
Bear is also a member of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit and won the 2016 Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.
The latest Order of Canada list also includes Alfred Slinkard, from Saskatoon. He is being recognized with an honorary appointment for his research in agronomy. He developed two cultivars of lentils that the government says transformed agriculture in western Canada and now feed thousands of people.