Articles

For the Métis people, the New Year’s Day celebration is a special one. Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. President Shirley Isbister says in days gone by, her family would go house to house, visiting family and eating boulettes — meatball soup. All day, they’d visit with relatives, eating boulettes along the way, and then in the evenings they’d gather again for a meal and the adults would jig and dance all night. While some of these traditions have fallen by the wayside, Shirley says she still makes boulettes every year for her family, and her goal with the newly opened Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge is to revive some of these traditions.

The rent at the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge is 30 per cent below market for some of the suites — a feat that was only possible thanks to support from an astounding six funding sources. Because so much funding was secured, the rent is very affordable, and the energy-efficient design will also help Elders save money on utility costs. “It was a tough goal but we knew with the different funding partners that it was possible,” said Shaun Dyck, CUMFI director of housing.

Kathleen Pruden hopes there will be jigging at the Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge when it opens. CUMFI’s Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge is a multi-unit residential building for Métis Elders, and it features gathering space for just such activities as jigging. Other features include accessible suites, a fireplace in the common area, and a garden. All of these features were suggested by the Elders themselves through consultations.

From 2004-08, the prairies saw huge increases in housing prices and a shortage of housing. There was an affordable housing problem in Saskatoon. The Big Block leadership successfully helped solve that shortage, but we also saw there was a need for affordable housing across Canada.We knew we had the skills and experience to make a bigger difference in the world, but we didn’t yet know how.

The Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge housing project was a first for Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) — for past housing programs, they renovated older buildings rather than building something completely new. It was also the first time they built culturally-informed housing from the ground up.With so many firsts on their plate, CUMFI needed help. One organization they reached out to was the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (Cando).

The price of lumber has shot up over the past two years, and the price continues to be unstable. Along with supply chain issues, there’s been a surge in new construction and renovations since the pandemic hit, putting lumber in high demand. These high prices have raised construction costs dramatically but Big Block clients have been relatively sheltered from these price fluctuations because of our focus on value engineering and our fixed price contracts. 

The creation of the Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge was a collaborative process through and through, says Jason Surkan with David T. Fortin Architect Inc. (DTFA), and it started with the Elders who might live there.“We had community engagement sessions with elders to ensure their visions and hopes and dreams were captured in this project,” Surkan said. “Hopefully what we brought forward in terms of the architecture of the building is their vision brought into reality.”

Architect David Fortin wanted to ensure there was outdoor space when designing the Round Prairie Elders' Lodge, a multi-unit residential building for Métis Elders from the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI). Fortin said the Lodge will honour the culture and the Elders living there.

Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) identified years ago that there was a need in Saskatoon for culturally appropriate housing, says President Shirley Isbister. There were gaps in the availability of affordable, safe homes and in the cultural component of housing, where it’s administered by an Indigenous organization for Indigenous people, she said. Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge, a multi-unit residential building for Elders, was also born out of listening to the community.

It’s all about people. Modular construction has a variety of benefits throughout the building process, but Nick Sackville with Big Block Construction says its most important benefit is that it has a positive community impact.