Construction on the Kikinow Elders Lodge near Grande Cache is expected to wrap up by the end of April with residents moving in by early summer.
Shyam Menon, director of portfolio management for the Evergreens Foundation, said the final commissioning of the electrical and mechanical works was ongoing, and some exterior work was being finalized.
“We’re just very excited to get this open, so we’re in the final stretch, and it’s all hands on deck,” Menon said.
The $15-million development will provide affordable homes for Indigenous elders in the Victor Lake Co-operative, located just south of Grande Cache in the Municipal District of Greenview.
The Evergreens Foundation, a non-profit housing management body, took up the project after the Victor Lake Co-operative reached out in 2018 about the need to house local elders.
The foundation helped the co-operative secure over $2 million from the provincial government, and its six-member municipalities also agreed to provide funding.
Construction began in October 2023, with an official topping blessing ceremony last August.
“It was quite challenging because of the location, especially building something in a remote location and bringing all the services to a remote site,” Menon said. “But this will be an amazing place for the community once it opens up.”
The Kikinow Elders Lodge is 17,211 square feet and features a circular layout and a central home fire gathering space inspired by the traditional teepee structure.
The lodge will have 12 units, specifically 10 one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units. These units will be fully accessible, designed specifically for seniors and have kitchenettes and accessible washrooms.
Once the Evergreens Foundation takes over the building, it will need several months to operationalize it for staff.
Menon noted the formal intake process will start in April, and the foundation will post more details on its website then. Priority will go to elders from the Indigenous co-ops and enterprises of Grande Cache.
Editor's note: The story was updated to indicate that priority for this housing will go to elders from the Indigenous co-ops and enterprises of Grande Cache, not just the Victor Lake Co-operative.
