Left to right, MGBHLM Economic Development Corporation CEO Grant Beaudry, MGBHLM Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman, FSIN and BATC Senator Jenny Spyglass, and CORCAN CEO Kelly Hartle during the ribbon cutting ceremony at Monday's celebration. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Economic Development project

MGBHLM partnering with CORCAN to build homes

Sep 13, 2021 | 6:01 PM

Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man (MGBHLM) First Nation and CORCAN announced a partnership Monday to work together to build quality ready-to-move (RTM) homes.

Grant Beaudry, CEO for the First Nation’s Economic Development Corporation, said the homes will be built at Mosquito’s property south of Battleford, known as The Ridge.

The completed homes will then be available for purchase by First Nations as well as non-First Nations communities.

“When we first had the vision, it was a year ago after we bought homes from them,” Beaudry said. “It just made sense for [MGBHLM] economic development to get into the RTM business.”

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Representatives from MGBHLM and CORCAN made the announcement at a special event in Battleford’s Industrial Park in front of a model of one of the RTM homes that will be built in the project. People had an opportunity to view the home after the announcement.

Beaudry said the workers creating the new homes will be crews from CORCAN, as well as from MGBHLM’s Home Builders and Construction company, so all participants will gain expertise along the way as well.

The project will also be a good opportunity to develop more skilled trades people for the First Nation.

The project has a social justice component as well.

The project partner, CORCAN, provides a rehabilitation program of the Correctional Service of Canada, to offer offenders employment and skills training within the community. According to CORCAN’s website, its work supports the federal government’s social policy to help reintegrate offenders into society to promote their success for the future.

CORCAN CEO Kelly Hartle said the partnership with MGBHLM was developed with a vision where CORCAN program participants will be working alongside the MGBHLM Economic Development committee and other community members to train to build homes.

“Today we’re here to celebrate the Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man Economic Development committee and First Nations, and their hard work on this initiative,” she said.

Chris Odishaw, on the MGBHLM Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors, is excited about the project.

“It’s not only going to benefit First Nations,” he said. “It’s going to benefit the membership and the community. And now this partnership with CORCAN, is going to give us the ability to build quality RTMs here. It is going to give us the ability to do training — from carpentry to cabinetry, to electrician [work] to plumbing.”

Odishaw added that the end result is that every house that is built in the project offers another family an opportunity to enjoy a brand new home.

He said the home-building initiative will incorporate people in training programs along the way so everyone benefits.

“It’s big-picture thinking,” Odishaw said, adding he appreciates how the project will provide education and training, and “a lot of capacity building within the nation.”

MGBHLM Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman is also thrilled with the initiative.

She commended the efforts of the MGBHLM Economic Development Corp. members, as well as all the MGBHLM council members on the initiative.

“This work cannot be done alone,” Aguilar-Antiman said.

She says since the Economic Development Corp. started two years ago it has made great progress in helping the MGBHLM community grow.

“It’s amazing the beauty that we have seen within our people,” Aguilar-Antiman said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow