Welcome, Gilakas’la
A Substantial More Forward
The Foundation respectfully acknowledges and appreciates that we live in the traditional territory of the Kwakiutl First Peoples.
On October 21, 2024 the Foundation entered into preliminary discussions with the K’awat’si Economic Development Commission and the K’awat’si Consultant and Management Company. All parties have agreed to work together to complete a multicultural Seniors & Elders housing project in Port Hardy.
The Foundation has completed many goals due to generous community donations of money, time, personnel, machinery, and equipment. Not-with-standing personal commitments of local, District, Provincial, and Federal politicians motivating the Foundation forward.
- Approval in principle by Kwakiutl First Nations traditional landowners
- Favourable geophysical studies of the entire Trustee property
- Land surveying of immediate and future objective development sites
- Favour environmental studies
- Preliminary conceptual Architectural plans
- Favourable community approval
- Multi year site development plan
The project is in the preliminary conceptual stage and final building style & design have yet to be formalized. The Foundation would welcome the participation of interested community stakeholder groups.
The design goal is multipurpose design that is the most cost effective use of public funding, while offering up to forty (40) safe, modern, comfortable living spaces affording seniors & elders security.
- Companionship
- Optional community Meals/dinning facilities
- Home care assistance
- Project form and design facilitating social & cultural enrichment
- Organized outings
- Cluster homecare assistance
- Innovative housing that adapts to a senior’s transitional needs
- Energy efficient warm living spaces
- Architectural, Landscape, and neighbourhood engineering facilitating comfort and wellness of the community.
It has been said that a society may be judged by it’s willingness to take care of it’s seniors…… North Island peoples care and acknowledge the value of our aging population.
The North Island Housing Foundation believes providing adaptable housing needs and amenities to keep our senior citizens on the North Island is vital. A senior’s warmth, character, and life experiences bring about community vitality and growth. Presence of our seniors, who may be a brother, sister, friend, grandfather, grandmother, or an acquaintance, can only enhance the character and integrity of our communities. Who could argue the value of our elders in our lives? Yet today many North Island Seniors move to distant care facilities when life capacity & needs change and no local affordable transitional housing options are unavailable, tearing apart families by hundreds of kilometers… moving seniors away from familiar surrounding & friendships, at a stage of life when they need our support the most!
Consultation with key stakeholders in housing design is essential, particularly involvement of tenants. Potential residents of any affordable housing community should be involved in the planning, particularly with respect to design and layout of the accommodation.
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“It is imperative that planning and design schemes are geared toward future needs and not simply providing adequate solutions for current needs.” Goodman & Smith, 1992 |
The Foundation has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Port Hardy District to provide up to 8 acres of the following property within the traditional territory of the Kwakiutl First Nations:
Lot 1 of District of Port Hardy plan described as Section 36, Township 9, Rupert District, Plan 354456, Trustee Road.
Figure 1 – Trustee Road Property, Port Hardy, 8 Acres
The Trustee Road property has strategic and unique features making it an ideal location for a North Island Senior’s Residence:
- Strategic to District growth patterns
- Objective District/Foundation partnership in affordable seniors’ residences
- The site offers a neighboring covered shopping mall, sidewalks, and public transportation
- Site topography is flat or gently sloping affording landscaped outdoor spaces, accessible pedestrian walkways and parking
- Land size offers room for future & transitional strategic planning
- Safe and secure access and egress road frontage
- Existing services such as power, water, sewage
- All weather amenities in the North Island Mall
- Central to expected community amenity and population growth of the future
- Adjacent green park space
- Future direct road access to Eagle Ridge and Hospital Services
- Transitional growth today and the future
- Thirty year planning capability
Conditional upon completion of a formal agreement with the District, CMHC, and BC Housing the Foundation will move forward with funding targeted to the many skilled trades persons on the North Island, to create a beacon seniors & elders living spaces for the North Island: a stakeholder designed Seniors’ Housing Complex.
This exciting project is expected to be begin late 2025; with followup phases decided by stakeholders over a number of years depending upon community need. The initial phases of construction in short are envisioned as:
Initial Phase
- Up to 40 housing units
- Functionally designed for transitional seniors needs
- Home support amenities
- Health care space opportunities
- Seniors & Elders cultural and meeting space (Phase two)
Living spaces be a state of the art self-sustaining compliment to the growing interests of the North Island, designed in fashion to create a relaxing and enjoyable living experience for our senior & family members. The Foundation will fund the project in its entirety through mechanisms such as:
- Health care partnerships
- Private subscription
- Legacy sponsorship
- Ministry funding and grants
- Industry sponsorship of individual residences & amenities
We look forward to working together with all stakeholders to bring an affordable seniors’ residential center to the North Island.
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“Caring for seniors is perhaps one of the greatest responsibilities we have. For it is they who have walked before us giving so much that have made possible the lives we all enjoy today.” Author unknown |