Raising the roof in St. Boniface

It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll, but if you want to build a six-storey housing development in St. Boniface, getting to the top takes about 11 months.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Freedhome Developments Ltd. celebrated on Friday the topping-off ceremony of a new building at 366 Marion St. Once complete, La Cour — French for “the Court” — will offer 127 housing units, including 52 labelled “deeply affordable.”

Construction began in November and is expected to be completed in September 2026. Builders recently started putting the roof on, which inspired Friday’s celebration. OCN community members and leaders, as well as representatives from all levels of government, attended.

The mixed-use development will include ground-level townhomes, a lobby lounge with co-working space, streetfront commercial space and heated parkade. It is wholly owned by OCN, a Manitoba First Nation located near The Pas. It’s being touted as an example of Indigenous-led economic sovereignty and a step forward on the path of reconciliation.

The Winnipeg development will foster long-term economic growth, create generational wealth and strengthen community ties, according to OCN Chief Michael Constant.

“Our people are entering into the main society, (leaving) our First Nations and surviving and thriving into these (urban) settings, and this is one of the capital ways of meeting their needs,” Constant said.

The total budget for the Norwood East neighbourhood project is about $38 million. The federal government is contributing more than $35 million, the City of Winnipeg is contributing $2 million via its tax-increment financing policy and the province is contributing more than $375,000 via Efficiency Manitoba. OCN will pay for the remainder.

La Cour is a step forward in the federal government’s plan to build a strong Canada, said Liberal MP Ginette Lavack (St. Boniface — St. Vital).

“A home is so much more than a roof over our heads,” Lavack said. “It’s really the starting point of a stable life, a thriving family and a strong, diverse and resilient community. It’s about building a stronger Canada, with every partner pulling in the same direction to create homes and the affordable housing market that Canadians need.”

St. Boniface MLA Robert Loiselle said he is proud to be part of a provincial government that engages in economic reconciliation.

“It’s important that projects like this bring together all levels of government, including First Nation governments, in engaging in projects that advance economic reconciliation,” Loiselle said.

Winnipeg is growing, Mayor Scott Gillingham said, and with that growth comes the need for more housing of all kinds.

“This partnership strengthens neighbourhoods, it creates new opportunities for residents and helps to ensure that everyone who wants to call Winnipeg home has a place to do so,” Gillingham said. “(La Cour) is an example of what is possible when we work together.”

For Jonathon Freed, president of Freedhome Developments, the opportunity to collaborate with OCN is meaningful.

“Their vision for infill housing and bringing affordable housing to the marketplace in Winnipeg … really melds well with our vision for our company,” Freed said.

A couple of neighbouring businesses said they support the development.

“We think that it’ll bring more life to St. Boniface and help support the local community,” said Dominique Smith, who works across the street from La Cour at Falcon Leasing.

Construction in the area has been heavy in recent years, noted Chris Kirouac, manager of Dug & Betty’s Ice Creamery, which is located kitty-corner to La Cour.

That can pose challenges for a small business, he said, but ultimately, the addition of an apartment complex to the area is positive. “At the end of the day, more people in the neighbourhood is a good thing,” Kirouac said.

La Cour is the second of three apartments OCN plans to build and own in the next few years. The First Nation celebrated the grand opening of the first complex — a seven-storey, 69-unit building at 380 Young St. — in July. A 240-unit complex in Bridgwater could come in 2028.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca