A Manitoba First Nation’s outside-the-box solution to its housing crisis

Norway House Cree Nation has more people than homes to house them, a problem that an innovative housing company is hoping to solve.

The First Nation, about 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg, is one of the largest and fastest growing Indigenous communities in the province, but in some cases you will find 15 to 20 people living together in small homes that are prone to mildew and mould.

“People tend to sleep in shifts because there’s not enough space for bedrooms or beds to sleep on,” Wayne Anderson, chief operating officer of Norway House Cree Nation, told CTV National News. “Those are the kind of sad stories we hear.”

It was clear that something needed to be done, so a couple of years ago, the First Nation partnered with a Manitoba company with an outside-of-the-box idea to turn sea cans into mould-proof houses.

Since then, the company, Bison Modular Homes, has grown in size and ideas.

James Dixon, a board member of Bison Modular Homes as well as a band member of Norway House Cree Nation, describes these modular homes as “air tight, (and) very comfortable inside.”

Built on a steel frame, with a heated cavity for electrical and plumbing, the completely contained modular homes can be transported to remote communities easily and made livable in a matter of days.

The exterior steel panels are filled with foam insulation, which makes the houses mould proof and fire resistant.

“No matter what, when this house shows up, you’re good,” Shane Prevost, vice-president of Bison Modular Homes, told CTV National News. “It’s ready to set up, it’s good to go, and it’s very quick to install.”

They cost about 10 per cent more than other ready-to-move homes, but Norway House Cree Nation sees the long-term benefit, as well as a new opportunity to bring jobs to the First Nation.

They’re hoping to move some of the manufacturing of Bison Modular Homes to Norway House Cree Nation.

“We have good carpenters, we have good tradespeople, and we’d like to be involved in every part of construction,” Alan Albert, Norway House Cree Nation’s housing director told CTV National News.

A housing model that will also bring employment and train students, giving this First Nation the chance to build affordable, healthier homes and build its future at the same time.

With files from CTVNews.ca`s Alexandra Mae Jones