By Cumberland House Cree Nation

New Beginnings in Cumberland House

Cumberland House Cree Nation Announces Construction of New Band Office

Oct 2, 2020 | 9:32 AM

At the recent sod turning ceremony in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, the Cumberland House Cree Nation marked the start of construction of its new 15,458 square foot high-performance and energy efficient band office.

The previous Cumberland House Cree Nation band office had been destroyed in a fire on December 2, 2019 and the Chief and Council had vowed to rebuild as soon as possible.

“Our Council has worked hard for the past 10 months to settle the fire claim with our insurance and today, we are happy to be able to start to rebuild using this settlement,” declared Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer.

The new office building will once again house the band’s financial services, administrative chambers and daycare facilities.

Its construction is slated to take five months.

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“We have developed a strong and innovative business plan for this new construction and we are committed to providing our community with a new energy efficient facility quickly. We have engaged Saskatoon’s 3twenty Modular to deliver what will be one of the most high-performance commercial buildings in northern Saskatchewan. And we’re proud to be able to rebuild within months of the devastating fire, relying solely on our own finances, thanks to the insurance claim settlement,” noted Marcia Seeseequasis, Band Manager.

The new two storey building has a very efficient building envelop, which means that very little energy is required for heating. The mechanical system integrates a state-of-the-art ventilation system, an efficient wood-pellet furnace, and air source heat pump.

“We are thrilled to be working with Cumberland House’s innovative and progressive Chief and Council to design and build a band office that will serve as an icon for sustainable construction in the north.,” said Bryan McCrea, Co-founder of 3twenty Modular.

The new band office is expected to be delivered in early 2021.

A new Head Start facility is also under construction for the community and will be turned over shortly after.

“The loss of our former band office and the historic information it housed was devastating but we’re taking the opportunity to create a facility that will be even better and that our community members can be proud of,” concluded Chief Chaboyer.

Profile:The Cumberland House Cree Nation was established on Treaty 5 territory on September 24, 1875. Learn more about the community at www.chcn.ca.