Annual First Nations Housing Conference in Thunder Bay, Ont., puts students to work

Youth empowerment is among the key focuses of this year's First Nations Housing Conference in Thunder Bay, Ont., as stakeholders continue conversations about how to improve housing conditions in remote communities.

Organizers of the 22nd annual conference say it's the largest and longest-standing event focused on First Nations housing across the country. The three-day conference brings community leaders, industry members and government officials together to discuss ways to address housing challenges in First Nations.

"It's like a one-stop shop in that sense of getting people together and learning together," said Clarence Meekis, a member of the conference's organizing committee who works for the tribal council Keewaytinook Okimakanak. He is a member of Deer Lake First Nation.

About one in six Indigenous people in Canada lived in overcrowded housing that was considered unsuitable in 2021, according to a Statistics Canada report.

"Housing never goes out of style. The needs never change. But our goal is to empower people and communities, home occupants, community leadership, that they can still provide world-class housing for their community members," said Meekis.

Funding is one of the main challenges of getting adequate housing to First Nations, he said, along with acquiring quality materials, contractors and service providers "that will do the work right."

"Building code is one thing, and I think there's a lot you can pay attention to in quality that's over and above building code standards — and that's our goal, is to make sure they get the best available in our communities," Meekis said.

The theme of this year's conference, which began Tuesday and wraps up on Thursday, is exploring challenges and empowering sustainability. 

Creating healthier homes and career options

More than a dozen students from remote First Nations who moved to Thunder Bay for high school participated in a Builders Challenge on Wednesday.

Celebrity handyman Jon Eakes led a number of demonstrations before students tested their skills in demolition, restructuring, vinyl flooring and floor base moulding.

Students were set up at four work stations in a large conference room at the Valhalla Hotel and Conference Centre, where they had 20 minutes to complete each task at hand.

Eakes said a big focus was on mould remediation, a common challenge in First Nations housing in Canada.

"It's all the steps to go from, 'I've got a problem,' to 'I've got a healthier house that will avoid that problem in the future,'" he said.

Overall, he said, the goal was to show students how to successfully complete their own home improvement projects, so they can bring these skills back to their communities and potentially be inspired to make a career out of them.

"Their whole esteem was rising up in terms of, 'I can do it. I can even show people how to do it,'" Eakes said. "That leads towards the possibility that they can keep their houses in better condition themselves."

Sienna Wabasse, a Grade 11 student from Nibinamik First Nation who's also known as Summer Beaver, is completing a welding co-op placement at school.

"Through that, I just learned so much about myself," Wabasse said.

She said she enjoys using power tools and working with a team to get projects done, and is considering a career in the trades.

"I feel very lucky to be here. This is a very great experience," she said.

For Grade 12 student Landon Yellowhead, who is also from Nibinamik, the conference's trade show also gave him the chance to network with exhibitors about getting into an apprenticeship after he graduates.

The Builders Challenge is a great way to give students pre-work experience, he said, and he encourages other young people to seize similar opportunities.

"Don't be afraid to jump at every chance you get to experience something new, even if it's scary, because fear only holds you back," said Yellowhead.