Making a ‘home away from home’

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This article was published 05/11/2023 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Métis Federation took a crucial step toward realizing a plan that’s been nearly 20 years in the making on Thursday.

The organization put shovels in the dirt to begin construction on Michif Manor, an $11-million housing development project at 790 Notre Dame Ave. that’s expected to be complete in July 2024 and open its doors in September.

The 12-room dwelling will welcome Métis families whose loved ones are undergoing medical treatment at the nearby Health Sciences Centre, similar to the existing Ronald McDonald House on 62 Juno St.

“It was a really good day,” said Will Goodon, MMF’s minister of housing. “Just from my side, yeah, my personal reasons for carrying this along — having a child (his son Hunter) with cancer who survived and is doing well — and knowing the impacts of caring for family members can be so debilitating in itself … when we talk about our Métis nation being like a family, this is the kind of thing we want to show our citizens.”

Up to $2.5 million of funding for the development will be provided by the Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative, a contingent within the federal government that chose to support Michif Manor and 23 other Indigenous-led housing ideas across the country.

Michif Manor is expected to fill a gap in support available to the families of out-of-towners who have to travel to Winnipeg for medical treatment. A 24-7 wraparound support will be available for residents, including language support to eliminate any language barriers that may exist, cooking classes, support from elders and education on the medical system.

“I think (the education on the medical system) is extremely important if you’re not used to dealing with the infrastructure inside the healthcare system. It can be quite intimidating,” Goodon said.

MMF also plans to offer rooms for $75 per night, which it says will save families loads of money in comparison to staying at a hotel. Rooms will come with private bathrooms, a shared kitchen and a game room for kids.

“When you look at health care and you look at our families that have no way to get to the city and all the health-care services are situated right in the city of Winnipeg … we just want to make sure that we have cultural programming, that we feel comfortable and that it’s a home away from home,” said Frances Chartrand, MMF’s minister of health.

“If you look at Ronald McDonald House it’s full. And you look at the CandInns, it’s also full,” she continued. “When you look at the programs and services and supports they have for Red River Métis citizens and Manitoba citizens across the province, there’s not enough room for them to come in to be in a place where they can be with their families.”

Goodon has previously credited MMF president David Chartrand for noticing the need for a housing development that could house rural Métis families nearly 20 years ago. Goodon said he suspects Michif Manor will reveal even more gaps in the support available to Métis families as it relates to health care, ones the organization hasn’t even thought about.

“The more that we do as a housing department, the more we see the need. And the need just becomes so evident that we don’t know what we don’t know, as the saying goes,” he said.

“I think this is going to be the same thing so that when we pull back the rug a little bit, we’re going to see needs that we’re not even aware of. Know when we see those gaps that we’ll do our utmost to fill them on the health-care side.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca