SPRE National Accelerator Spotlight:
Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation Inc.

Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation Inc. is based in Ktaqmkuk (Stephenville) and was incorporated in 2014 when the community noticed the service gaps that existed for Mi’kmaw youth. Over the last 11 years, they have grown into a leading force for Mi’kmaw cultural resurgence across Newfoundland and Labrador. The Foundation offers programs including Lnu’k Gardens, Ktaqmkuk Rising, and Healing Ktaqmkuk, which integrate land-based education, environmental stewardship, mentorship, and intergenerational healing.

In September 2025, the Foundation purchased a property at 1 Washington Drive in Stephenville to transform into a Cultural Centre and Community Hub. The renovated space will include community meeting rooms, a programming space, a co-working space and small gym for members, and a childcare centre. While the Foundation knew they needed their own space to deliver programming, they started exploring social enterprise models when they realized the lack of donations and federal funding available would make operating solely as a programming space financially unsustainable. After creating a business plan and conducting a feasibility study, the Foundation and its community members agreed that a childcare centre would both fill an existing gap that families in Ktaqmkuk face, as well as offer funding to the Centre through affordable daycare fees and grants that are available from the province for childcare spaces. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is supporting the renovation of the childcare centre.

This project builds on the Foundation’s core values of respect, reciprocity, and cultural renewal. Lessons from ongoing initiatives, including Lnu’k Gardens, Ktaqmkuk Rising, and Healing Ktaqmkuk, inform the design and purpose of the Centre. Elders and knowledge holders will share teachings, ceremonies, and language. Artists and craftspeople will have access to studio space, exhibition opportunities, and the ability to collaborate and showcase Mi’kmaw creativity year-round. With language revitalization woven through daily programming, signage, classes, and in the childcare centre, the Centre will be a place where Mi’kmaw identity is nourished and encouraged.

Site acquisition for the Centre was no easy feat. Despite government and banks advertising Indigenous programs, many funding options only support renovations, leaving a funding gap for new builds. Facing multiple rejections from banks, ambition and tenacity were required to secure a mortgage, which was eventually supported by a local credit union. Once the Foundation found a lender, they still had to find a way to finance 25% as their mortgage would only cover 75% of the building costs. They were eventually able to bridge the gap with the support of various investor programs, including The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
At its heart, the Centre is envisioned as a community-oriented space defined by multi-generational learning and creativity rooted in Mi’kmaw culture. In addition to the childcare centre, renovations will add a kitchen, accessible washroom, communal space, and greenhouse to the former medical clinic. These facilities are essential for the Foundation to deliver regular hands-on cultural workshops to youth, and provide access to mentorship from Elders, digital media creation, and land-based learning.

Stephenville holds cultural and historical significance as ancestral Mi’kmaw territory shaped by travel routes, harvesting grounds, stories, and ceremony. The Centre will honour these connections by incorporating local land features, historical narratives, and community knowledge into its design. Its role will extend beyond service delivery and become a space for cultural diplomacy and education, welcoming both Mi’kmaw and non-Indigenous community members to learn, gather, and build relationships rooted in respect. By grounding the project in the stories and land of Ktaqmkuk, the Foundation ensures the Centre is not just a building but a continuation of a much older relationship between people and place.