Stoney Nation members residing in temporary parks as they await repairs and rebuilds of their flood-impacted homes will now move into the elder’s lodges located on the Nation.
A cost estimation conducted last fall indicates that as much as $30-$40M could be saved over the course of a year by renovating the Wesley Elder’s Lodge (the ‘north’ lodge) and the Bearspaw/Chiniki Elder’s Lodge (the ‘south’ lodge), rather than continuing with the three parks operated by Outland Camps as the interim housing solution.
There were 48 well-site units on Wesley Park, located along Highway 1A, another 48 for Chiniki band members and 25 for Bearspaw; Chiniki and Bearspaw sites and located next to one another, southwest of the Morley townsite according to a visit of the parks the Eagle went on last spring.
“Wesley Park has been demobilized by Outland,” explained David MacDonald, director of the recovery management team for the Nation, adding that the Bearspaw/Chiniki Parks would be demobilized this week, as well.
“Anybody who was in there prior to Christmas, either their homes were repaired and they have moved back in or they will be moving into (one of) the lodges.”
The province contracted Nor-Ex Ice Engineering Inc. and their recovery management team acts of behalf of the Nation to oversee the entire flood recovery process on all Stoney locations — Morley, Eden Valley and Big Horn; their contract, up for renewal in April, would be for another 12 months.
The entire flood recovery is slated for completion by May 2016.
“The government agreed to bring the two lodges up to a safe standard of living,” said MacDonald, adding that renovations to the lodges are slated for completion by the end of the week.
Some 107 people are estimated to move into the north and south lodges; these Nation members have been identified as needing replacement homes, slated to be built and move-in ready as early as late spring.
“This new interim housing solution is really putting the people back in a position of self-sufficiency — more like home,” explained Christine Balash, communications officer with the recovery management team, adding that there will be kitchen units in place for each of the families to cook their own meals — rather than eat in community dining halls like in the Outland Camps’ parks.
Balash said there could be more employment opportunities for Nation members in the coming months.
There are currently four Nation employees working for Outland Camps, 34 for Clark Builders (general contractor for flood recovery), 32 for the recovery management team and 13 for security.
MacDonald said there could be more employment opportunities opening up through band-led capacity-building initiatives in the near future.
Some 65 mobile homes and 10 large travel trailers are en route to the Nation to house the overflow of people awaiting rebuilds.
