The proposed Fort Good Hope Construction Centre just received a large financial prize from Canada Mortgage and Housing and “is exactly the type of local economic developments that this territory needs,” says Shauna Morgan, MLA for Yellowknife North.
“Today I’d like to focus on a positive story of a community finding innovative solutions and taking back control over their housing crisis. It’s also an inspiring story of collaboration between dedicated folks in both my riding of Yellowknife North and the community of Fort Good Hope,” she said in the NWT Assembly today.
“The project is the Fort Good Hope Construction Center. This will be a four-season facility in which new housing units will be locally constructed by community members for community members. It was recently awarded millions of dollars in funding as one of the winners of CMHC is housing supply challenge.”
The Fort Good Hope Construction Center will provide a heated indoor industrial space where community members will be trained and employed year-round in modular home construction.
Morgan said the Construction Centre will have broader economic development benefits, as it will equip the community to participate in other capital projects in the region.
The initiative is a partnership between K’asho Got’ı̨nę Housing Society, Ne’Rahten Development Ltd., the community’s business arm, and Taylor Architecture Group in Yellowknife.
The project has been supported by Housing NWT as well as Aurora College, which Morgan said is enthusiastic about partnering.
The exact amount of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation prize isn’t immediately known, but the 15 finalists will share a pot worth $74.8 million.
Some other issues on the minds of MLAs in Members’ Statements and Oral Questions today:
Richard Edjericon, MLA for Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh, is concerned after Suncor in Alberta released a report about runoff water from a oil sands project into the Athabasca River that tested above compliance. “These chemicals can be toxic. We fish on the river downstream from oil sands in northern Alberta. Premier RJ Simpson replied that he’s waiting for more test results to come back, but that residents needn’t make any changes to water usage.
Robert Hawkins, MLA for Yellowknife Centre, asked if there could be better training for shelter workers to help de-escalate violence “long before it gets out of hand” and the RCMP have to be called or anyone gets hurt.
