Mi'kmaw community rallies to build shelter for local man sleeping in deteriorating barn

Community members from the Mi'kmaw community of Eskasoni First Nation in Nova Scotia have pulled together to build an insulated emergency shelter for a local man who has been living in a deteriorating barn in the community.

The project, led in part by Mi'kmaw culture teacher and single father Calvin Stevens, was supported with over $3,000 in donations and materials. They are being used to build an insulated 6 by 12 foot shelter where the homeless man can sleep safely in cold or wet weather.

CBC News was unable to contact the man and has chosen to identify him only as "Noel." 

Stevens said assistance from Eskasoni's social services team, as well as Noel's family, has been offered to him previously, but because he struggles with mental illnesses including addiction, Noel's choice was to be out on his own. Building the new shelter would respect that decision while ensuring he was protected from the elements, Stevens said.

"It goes back to the lessons my grandparents taught me; whether they're rich or poor, suffering from mental illness or if they're an addict, they're all human beings," he said.

"Everybody deserves to be treated with the same dignity, respect and humanity as everyone else."

Stevens said the project began in January when he and a friend, Eskasoni resident Nicholas Basque Sr., were delivering winter clothing to community members who were struggling with poverty and homelessness, and discovered the man was taking shelter from snow and subzero temperatures in the barn. 

"He was always friendly to [us], and so we went and bought him some winter boots, long-johns, gloves and hat but … we were driving around all day trying to find him," Stevens said.
 
"We got out of the car and it was bitter cold that night. It was harsh."

Another community member directed them to the barn, tucked behind a building once used as the community health centre. 

Stevens said the barn is falling apart, with visible holes and no insulation. After giving Noel the winter clothing and returning home, Stevens said he was struck by the gravity of the man's situation. Returning a few days later to speak with him, Stevens said he learned that Noel had been living in similar conditions for up to six years.

Stevens said the conversation left him in disbelief, and he struggled with the thought of the man dying from exposure to the cold. He made a social media post seeking ideas to raise money for building materials soon after.

"I couldn't sleep that night. Knowing that I was in a nice warm house, while this poor man was out there in [that] kind of weather," Stevens said. 

'Makes me feel grateful'

Stevens said Basque agreed to collect and track the donations from community members, and has posted photos detailing the amounts being spent on new and used materials.

Stevens, who owns rental properties that he's built himself, started construction on the shelter in February, with assistance from community volunteers and his two sons, Kaisa'n and Kale. He said the project has helped the boys develop their carpentry skills, and more importantly, practise compassion.

"It's a really nice feeling, that you're helping people in need," said 14-year-old Kaisa'n.

"When I look at myself, [the situation] makes me feel grateful for having a home."

"I learned to think about others … that people are struggling out there, especially in this time," said 12-year-old Kale, who said he hoped the shelter could also help protect the man from COVID-19. 

This week, Noel dropped by to check out the near-completed shelter, Stevens said. Stevens said Noel was "on cloud nine." 

"He knows he doesn't have to worry about keeping warm at night." 

The shelter is not meant to be a permanent home, but a temporary shelter until he can find one, Stevens said. As the shelter nears completion, Stevens is hoping the community's leadership will still find other ways to support the man.

There are numerous investments in housing projects by community members and the band, said Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny, but the community's population is growing rapidly and there is still a significant housing and homelessness problem. 

He said Noel isn't the only one in the same situation.

"Sometimes we just exhaust our resources to help an individual by pushing and pushing, and community members step in to help, which is really good," he said.

Denny said mental health services and addictions programs are a priority in the community because problems in these areas can exacerbate housing and homeless issues. 

"It's an ongoing battle. It's very challenging," he said.

Though the temperatures are now warming up in Eskasoni, Stevens said they're still considering options to safely produce heat in the shelter, for next fall and winter. The goal, he said, was to provide Noel with more comfort, privacy and protection from the weather, or insects and rodents. 

He said people who are homeless "fall through the cracks in First Nations communities. It's not intentional, it's just that [bands] are so overworked with the needs of the many ... which gives me the luxury of being able to help people like Noel."