A project aiming to create sustainable housing across six Indigenous communities in northeastern Alberta is creating an impact. Oil and gas industry giant Cenovus has allocated $50 million to support the housing crisis experienced by many rural communities through the Indigenous Housing Initiative.
Over the span of five years, the corporation is aiming to build hundreds of homes in the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Chard Métis, Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation, Cold Lake First Nations, Conklin Métis and Heart Lake First Nation communities, said Trent Zacharias, Cenovus’s director of community and Indigenous affairs.
“Building positive and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities near our operations is an important part of how Cenovus does business,” he said.
“After listening to Indigenous leaders about their concerns and priorities, we committed $50 million over five years to build up to 200 much-needed homes in six Indigenous communities nearest our oil sands operations.”
Regional housing impact
In the Heart Lake First Nation community, which is a part of the project originally established in 2020, the opportunities have supported Indigenous families with housing over the last two years, said Darren Quintal, Heart Lake First Nation’s housing manager.
“Housing is the number one thing for any community, including the township. Housing supports growth; and with growth, everything else in the nation is also growing: from our public works needs and our fire needs. There is so much growth happening and not on just the homes themselves.”
The community, 70 km north of the hamlet of Lac La Biche, has already provided 15 homes in the area with 10 more on the way this fall, said Quintal. In the five-year span the partnership is aiming to complete a total of 50 homes to serve for generations to come, he explained.
Ultimately, the benefit to the new homeowners has created a sense of pride and gratitude for the staff, Heart Lake council and community members working on the project alongside Cenovus, said Quintal.
“Seeing their eyes and their faces light up when they walk into their new home, they’re so proud of it,” he says hoping this large project will impact local youth and future generations. “It’s something that council wants young adults that are coming up to add too, willing to learn and move forward with—it’s nice to see that.”
Constructing homes
Cenovus has already funded “90 homes” throughout the six Indigenous communities with many more on the way, said Zacharias.
And in the near future, the partnership will continue to work with Indigenous communities “to prepare housing plans, assess community housing needs and advance the construction of homes,” he added.
As the project continues in the Heart Lake community, Quintal says he hopes to not only see the unique partnership grow, but the new and scheduled infrastructure projects draw new and old faces back to the developing community.
“Bringing back the people that moved out even as young adults or families that have moved out prior, they're coming back home now. The nice thing is with Cenovus and with the community it’s growth for our people who are also making an impact on the project. It's a positive partnership for Cenovus and Heart Lake."
