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'Long overdue': Construction begins on community for Indigenous Albertans

Once complete, the site will have 14 townhomes to be used as transitional housing for women and children from several southern Alberta reserves. Once complete, the site will have 14 townhomes to be used as transitional housing for women and children from several southern Alberta reserves.
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LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -

People gathered Tuesday on what is now an empty lot.

However, by spring of next year, they're hoping it will be a new community full of women and children.

"The construction should be completed by the 24th of May," said the Blackfoot Family Lodge Society's (BFLS) executive director Mary Ann Crow Healy.

The BFLS will be redeveloping the land once occupied by a church into 14 townhomes for Blackfoot women and children moving to Lethbridge from the Kainai, Piikani and Siksika reserves.

These townhomes will act as transition housing.

Forty-two beds will be available after the first phase of the project is complete.

A year after the announcement for the project was made, those behind it are excited to finally break ground.

"I feel grateful of course," said Lance Tailfeathers the chairman of the BFLS. "This is long overdue. I think with the intent of truth and reconciliation those types of projects came to light."

The government of Alberta has been one of the biggest supporters of the project.

The province will contribute roughly $3.4 million to see the first phase of townhomes completed.

Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf is thrilled for the province to be involved with the project.

"To be able to partner with them on something as significant as housing for women and children, which will establish some security for those individuals who need to live here, it just makes a great start."

The new development will provide more than just a safe place to stay for Blackfoot women and children.

Program will be offered to residents will teach them new life skills as well as allow them to connect with their Blackfoot heritage.

"The programs are basically, well not only aside from the life skills, are sort of the Blackfoot identity," Tailfeathers said.

"Some of the nutrition, cooking, Blackfoot language. Things that the Blackfoot culture is about."

The 14 townhomes are just the first phase of what's planned to be a three-phase project.

Later phases are expected to add a daycare, administration building as well as 12-unit studio apartment building.

While the first phase is set to be completed by next spring, funding for the next two phases is still yet to be secured.

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