For the first time in more than 15 years, a house warming was held on the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation's Shelley reserve.
Elder Peter John was presented with the keys Friday to a two-bedroom house. Five more are in the process of being completed with the last of them scheduled for occupation by the end of January.
The ceremony was a long time coming for Lheidli T'enneh Chief Clay Pountney, who said he was just a teenager the last time a new home was built on the reserve.
With about 70 people on a waiting list to come back to the reserve and a stock of aging homes in need of replacement or upgrading, Pountney said it's only the beginning.
"We have a community housing plan and we've been following that," Pountney said, adding the aim is to make a handful of new lots ready for construction each year.
John's home, and the five others like his, stand apart from the ungainly bread box style that dominates the reserve.
Measuring a cozy 900-square feet, it features a covered carport, a peaked and shingled roof and Hardieplank-style siding overtop an inch of insulation.
Inside, it has wider hallways and doors to accommodate people with mobility challenges, ample storage, a cubby hole holding a washer and drier, and a small wood stove strategically located between the living room and dining area. A wood shed is situated a few steps away from the three new homes on the reserve's south side.
The homes, which will remain in the LTFN's name and be rented out to members, were designed with extensive consultation with the community and with an emphasis on energy efficiency. A heated slab was considered but abandoned due to cost-effectiveness in favour of a four-foot crawl space which Pountney said keeps the heat on the floor.
"Cozy, warm. I think you could light a couple of candles to heat the place. "That's how well insulated they are," he said.
They were also designed with elders in mind. They are compact and easy to maintain and the second bedroom is meant for a family member or caregiver who can help with an elder's day-to-day needs.
Pountney credited former LTFN Chief Dominic Frederick and the previous council for getting the projects off the ground. Financing for the homes, which cost about $220 per square foot, came from a combination of own-source revenues from the band's various businesses and government, notably Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Eberle and Sons Construction began work on the homes in May and the last of them is scheduled for completion by the end of January.
Looking ahead, Pountney said some four-bedroom family-oriented housing is in the works.
