Lennox Island community building project completes first small home

Twisting the keys in her hands, Lennox Island First Nation member Lisa Legere examines the empty room as she explores the brand new one-bedroom house.

"Safe," she said. "I'm home."

Legere said she only found out about being chosen for the new home a few months ago, and had recently been staying in shelters.

"Certainly a dream come true, like, I couldn't ask for anything else," Legere said. "It's amazing what my band has done for me considering where I was."

Hers is the first of four planned small houses in the Mi'kmaq community that will be provided to residents through the band.

The 575-square-foot home, including a deck, has all the amenities of a larger house like a stove, fridge, washer and dryer.

The smaller units are geared toward individuals in the community, to help free up other spaces for larger families.

Housing challenges

There is a huge need for housing in the community, Chief Darlene Bernard said.

"With this round of housing — which we're building four — we've allocated them toward high-risk elders in our community. So members who really needed to have a safe, secure place to live," Bernard said.

"This is why this is so important, because we are building a foundation here for the skills to continue to build more and more homes in our community for our people."

The initial $150,000 for the Lennox Island First Nation project was funded by Indigenous Services Canada. 

A partnership was formed among the band, Lennox Island Development Corporation and the Mi'kmaq Confederacy of P.E.I. Skills Partnership Fund.

'Meaningful employment'

"We've seen this opportunity, that the band had funding and needed a construction crew to come in and to build it, and we had the people and the skill sets to do that," said Curtis Reilly, a partnership and business developer with MCPEI.

"This is kind of the next step that we saw as an opportunity for a lot of our clients and community members to find employment, meaningful employment and a lot to do around social enterprise."

Reilly said in hiring, they tried to target community members who were interested in construction and might have previous experience. 

He said the crew has been fantastic, and he hopes the experience they gained can now also be used outside of the community.

"We're hoping that by these types of projects that the skill levels will improve and also make them have more opportunities to work anywhere," Reilly said. "Whether it be in the neighbouring communities of Tyne Valley or O'Leary, or across Canada."

Next to the completed home on Oapus Trail, a second house is under construction, with windows and doors being installed.

Expanding local skill sets

The crew is all from Lennox Island, and experienced carpenters have been helping others expand their knowledge during construction. Four community members were hired full-time, and two others were brought on to try their hand at construction.

Some have worked in the construction industry before.

Carpenter Logen Lewis had for the last while been focusing on commercial building. He said this project makes him feel like he is starting all over again as he relearns residential construction techniques.

MCPEI oversees the construction project keeping things on time and on budget — even through the unexpected challenges that the global pandemic brought.

The Lennox Island Health Centre is also providing funding for a fourth small home through the initiative.

'Helping someone get a new life'

Lewis said it was a good feeling to know the work they were doing was helping out others in the community.

"It feels good just to actually continue doing what I do … adding on to my skill sets as a person, as a carpenter," Lewis said.

"Also giving back in a sense of helping someone get a new home or helping someone get a new life, I guess, to themselves."

Next door, where the hammers and drills can only be heard faintly, the echoes of the work do not go unnoticed by Legere as she settles into her new home.

"Words couldn't say enough to thank them — let them know how grateful I am," Legere said. "I hope they know how special they are to me."

The remaining three homes being built through the initiative are expected to be complete in 2021.

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