Housing has recently become a crisis issue for many Canadians, but Indigenous communities have been tackling a lack of quality housing for decades. Now, Wahkohtowin Development is proposing a solution for First Nations in Northern Ontario.
Based in Chapleau Cree First Nation, One Bowl is a fully Indigenous-owned not-for-profit, led by Wahkohtowin, a collaborative initiative composed of three First Nations in the Northeast Superior area: Chapleau Cree First Nation, Missanabie Cree First Nation, and Brunswick House First Nation. “No Indigenous organization was contracted to build or to outfit it, and no capacity internally from the community was utilized to build the home,” Larsen said.
Themalogs are rated for R30 in walls and up to R70 for roofs, which exceed industry standards for modular housing. A housing kit runs for about $75,000 for a 26-foot by 28-foot shell. Brunswick House First Nation has purchased four kits and has constructed all four at the same time. One Bowl has more kits going further north to Fort Albany and Kasheshwan.One Bowl is currently seeking funding that would enable it to purchase a majority ownership in a Thermolog manufacturing facility, to be established in Sturgeon Falls, west of North Bay, Larsen said.