From left: Guy Tourand, Housing Manager Mathieu Gaudet, Provincial Secretary Lisa McCallum, Builder Chad Zacharias, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Loretta King celebrate the future home of four families on Weds., May. 15 in Meadow Lake. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

New Homes

MN-S celebrates site of future affordable homes in Meadow Lake

May 15, 2024 | 8:07 PM

Standing at a wooden podium featuring an ornately carved head of a bison peering out over top the unmistakable blue and white of the Metis flag, Loretta King, minister of Housing and Infrastructure with Metis Nation- Saskatchewan spoke to the future of a plot of land in Meadow Lake.

“It’s exciting for us to be here today to break ground on new affordable housing for Metis citizens,” she said during the ground-breaking ceremony.

“We have listened to the need in the communities across the provinces. This government is responding with the more than $2 million investment to help address housing gaps.”

Minister Loretta King speaks to the new build during a ground-breaking ceremony in Meadow Lake. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The project on fourth St. E., when complete, will boast four family rental units in two ready-to-move (RTM) duplex buildings. Each home, built by Zak’s Building Group will feature three bedrooms and 1.5 baths and is Metis-specific.

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Chad Zacharias, chief construction officer, said the family company had been working with MN-S for a few years and he and his team were looking to work with the Nation again.

“It’s quite roomy, you’ve got a lot of your living space on the main floor and then bedrooms on the second floor,” he said of the homes.

“I think they’ll be lots of room for a family to spread out.”

According to Mathieu Gaudet, housing manager for the Nation, the regional housing strategy within the housing department provides funding to help the Metis regions for affordable housing projects.

“We identified some fairly affordable land here in Meadow,” he said referring to the purchase of three lots last October.

Duplex mockups during ground-breaking ceremony in Meadow Lake. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

He explained that they are still working on a needs assessment to decide on what the criteria for the rental properties will be, but they will be below market rate. Currently, the land is zoned R2, meaning discretionary approval must be given for duplexes. The City has the plans and will address the matter during their next council meeting.

“We’re hoping that just smoothy gets passed,” he said.

For Provincial Metis Secretary Lisa McCallum, it was a great day in a follow-up interview with battlefordsNOW.

“They give an opportunity for families to move into a home on rent that is more affordable for them, for their children,” she said, noting the current high cost of living.

“I think it’s also anther great opportunity because it’s in the community of the old Meadow Lake, it’s not in the new parts,” she added of the community’s Metis history.

Provincial Secretary Lisa McCallum speaks to the new build during a ground-breaking ceremony in Meadow Lake. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

McCallum explained the project builds on infrastructure that they have started throughout the province. The Nation, she said, has both a provincial housing plan along with a northern plan and the community showed they need family homes.

“That means a lot to us right because we’re meeting some of the goals and objectives…all over our plan of the whole socio-economic development.”

In addition to today’s Meadow Lake ceremony, MN-S was also in Lloydminster earlier in the morning to break ground for low-income rentals for seniors.

“It’s going to be exciting to see the families and the children to see their excitement in their face of moving into a new home,” she said.

“Feeling the ownership, feeling they actually have a home, that’s the important part because a lot of our families don’t have that.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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