Fisher River Cree Nation Advocates for Student Support Amid Educational Assistant Shortage

FISHER RIVER CREE NATION, MANITOBA — The Fisher River Cree Nation is calling for increased support to address a critical shortage of educational assistants (EAs) within their school system. As reported by CBC News on 13 October 2026, the community in Manitoba’s Interlake region requires at least 40 additional staff members to adequately support its student population. Nora Murdock, the director of the First Nation’s board of education, noted that at the start of the current school year, 76 students out of 525—approximately 14 per cent—require one-on-one support. These students present with complex learning needs, including autism, ADHD, and speech and language delays. Currently, the community employs 46 EAs, but many are assigned to broader library or language roles, leaving a significant gap for individualised classroom care. The shortage has direct impacts on families within the nation. Haylee Garson, whose 21-month-old son Cayson has Mosaic Down syndrome, shared her hope for his future despite early medical predictions. She emphasised that continued EA support will be vital for Cayson as he prepares to transition into nursery school in two years. Similarly, Chantel Green, mother to a Grade 10 student named Chantay, highlighted that EAs provide essential guidance and protection for students with special needs. According to Murdock, the current staffing constraints stem from years of federal underfunding, which only saw an increase in 2019. This legacy of limited resources has left the department struggling to fund the necessary positions as more children enroll with high-level needs. Leaders remain focused on securing the services required to ensure every child can thrive and that classroom teachers can maintain focus on all students. The community continues to push for funding that reflects the actual needs of their tamariki and rangatahi to ensure no student is left behind.