A screenshot of Chief Brad Swiftwolfe showing some of the components of the First Nation's new meat processing mobile unit. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Increased access to fresh meat

Moosomin First Nation welcomes new mobile meat processing unit

Oct 20, 2021 | 3:22 PM

THE BATTLEFORDS, Sask. – A Battlefords area First Nation now has increased access to fresh wild game and meats by providing a new mobile meat processing unit for the community to use.

Moosomin First Nation Chief Brad Swiftwolfe said the unit can be transported to any remote locations where the band members travel to hunt or fish, so the meat or other product can be professionally hauled, skinned, cleaned, cut, smoked, cured, stored and refrigerated directly at the site, in a safe and sanitary environment. The unit also offers access to clean water during the process.

The project has been a year in the making. Last year the band’s council members were looking at building a standard processing facility. But then after some discussions they came up with the idea to purchase a mobile unit instead, that would be more useful to the community overall.

“At Moosomin here, we have a few community hunts,” Swiftwolfe said. “We don’t have any processing place for them, even to make dry meat. Everyone does it at home, like field dressing and butchering. It’s a little too long. So the ideas that came forward were that we could process meat on-site basically, because [the mobile unit] does have its own onboard water, wastewater and power generation. So it’s an all-inclusive, all-enclosed unit.”

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The First Nation, with assistance from consulting firm Morris Interactive, submitted a grant application, and was able to access federal funding to help with the cost of the project. Swiftwolfe said a company from Alberta built the unit.

Swiftwolfe thanks all the band council and everyone who was involved in making the project a reality, which he calls “a wonderful dream come true.”

The First Nation’s council was able to participate with the engineers in planning the concept and design for the project.

Moosomin First Nation band councillor Lance Myo has been working on the portfolio for the initiative, and was there to see the project through to completion.

“We were pretty excited when we went to pick it up,” he said. “I’ve never seen one like this before. This is something new for our community.”

Myo added the First Nation as a whole will benefit from the mobile processing unit, especially when community meals are planned. Meats will be able to be processed and stored on site. Families will be able to stay in their homes and receive community meals safely, which is especially important during the COVID-19 situation.

Swiftwolfe said the First Nation plans to provide a training program and develop a policy for those using the mobile unit also.

“We want to make sure when they use it they are safe,” he said.

Swiftwolfe encourages other area First Nations to consider purchasing their own mobile meat processing units for their communities too, given the success of Moosomin First Nation’s project.

“I think it’s a good idea for each and every community to get one,” he said. “For us, we have a lot of hunters and harvesters. So this was built for them.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow