Dakota Tipi First Nation will be receiving funding for a new outdoor rink.

First Peoples Development Inc. put together a Proposal Writing Conference (along with Indigenous Services Canada) last October.

Evan Lilley is a Youth Intern at Southern Chiefs' Organization and says he teamed up with friend Zachary Pashe and they came up with a proposal for Dakota Tipi First Nation.

"They invited each First Nation in Manitoba to come and learn how to write a proposal, and how to pitch a proposal, and everything regarding a proposal. Then they give you six months to work on your proposal, and you submit it," says Lilley. "They were going to choose eight First Nations that submitted and then five would get chosen for funding."

He says people in the area have been looking to get a rink for a while, but the funds weren't there. He says they decided to try for a rink in this contest because it was something that would benefit not just their community, but other communities as well.

"So, Dakota Tipi was one of the eight that submitted and we were chosen," says Lilley. "At the end of (the conference, last week), they announced all eight First Nations that submitted a proposal was going to get funding. Dakota Tipi ended up getting $500,000 to fund the outdoor rink that we're going to build."

He says the rink could be ready to go by next winter.