BONNYVILLE – An overcast morning could not dim the excitement for a future Métis Capital Housing Corporation project slated to be built in the Town of Bonnyville.
On the morning of Aug. 22, elected officials from Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) and the Town gathered for a sod turning ceremony at the location of the soon-to-be built Family Reunification Housing project located at 3902B 50 Avenue.
Set in between existing apartment complexes, the housing development will be comprised of 12 suites, along with spaces for workshops, programming, cultural counselling, learning centers, a kitchen, and a playground.
The project is Phase II of Métis Capital Housing Corporation’s Family Reunification Program aimed at giving Métis families a safe space to start their healing process surrounded by supportive and compassionate staff.
Families are referred to the program through Alberta Ministry of Children's Services as a means of keeping families together who may have previously been separated.
The program provides long-term housing with the goal of assisting families with developing their case plans with Children's Services, and eventually transitioning them to independent living.
The first Family Reunification housing development and program was constructed in Edmonton and has found an 85 per cent success rate of keeping families together, said MNA President Audrey Poitras.
The president went on to say that through the program, children are going to school, eating healthy meals and can access extracurricular activities. Parents can get help accessing a variety of resources as well as training and retraining for employment opportunities.
“This is about people being united and moving forward,” said Poitras.
Town of Bonnyville Mayor Elisa Brosseau spoke of the importance of collaboration for the betterment of the entire community.
“Congratulations on your project, and we look forward to working with you in the future,” said Brosseau.
Speaking last and bringing the formal portion of the groundbreaking ceremony to a close was Andrea Sandmaier, the MNA vice president of Region II.
“Métis children have the right to remain with their families, and in their home communities,” Sandmaier said. “Métis families have the right to a second chance to have an opportunity to care for [their children] and this program will give them that chance.”
The Region II vice president shared that when a Métis child has an initial involvement with child welfare, “The first consideration must always be with the child to remain in his or her own Métis community and whenever possible to reunite with their parents and/or parent and Métis community.”
The belief that all Métis children deserve to be nurtured, protected, loved and rooted in their culture is why Sandmaier advocated so strongly to have Phase II of the Family Reunification Program constructed in the Bonnyville community within Region II.
“The families will have access to everything that they need to become the parents that they always knew they could be, but just needed a little help and support from their families and their community,” Sandmaier.
“I am very proud of this initiative and cannot wait for the doors to open and the building to be filled to capacity with all our mighty children coming home.”
While there is no confirmed date on when construction on the facility will begin, GenMec ACL is the lead contractor on the project. Currently, development permits for the project are being submitted to the Town for approval.
The MNA purchased the land for the project back in January of 2020, confirmed Sandmaier.
Métis Capital Housing Corporation was incorporated in 2007 and is owned by the Métis Nation of Alberta.
The corporation was created to provide affordable rental housing to low- and moderate-income Métis and other Indigenous families in Alberta.
Métis Capital Housing Corporation and Métis Urban Housing Corporation maintains and manages rental accommodations, providing housing to over 3,000 residents, almost 900 affordable housing units, in 14 urban centres throughout Alberta.