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A sod-turning ceremony at the James Smith Cree Nation this week marked the start of two major construction projects.
The ceremony on Jan. 20 celebrated the start of construction on the Miyo-Pimatisiwin Wellness Centre and Akameyimok Lodge, which are significant parts of the Nicawicikanisihk Wellness Project, the community’s response to the mass killing that left 11 victims dead in the Cree nation and nearby Wheldon in September of 2022.
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The wellness centre will house mental health programs, while the expanded and renovated lodge will offer detox, treatment and outpatient services to the Cree nation, located northeast of Melfort.
“The Wellness Centre will be 1,600 metres in size and will include large and small gathering areas, meeting rooms, dining and staff areas, a kitchen, multipurpose rooms, a cultural room, child-care areas, and a land-based learning room. Outside will be an amphitheatre, a fire pit and a playground,” the First Nation said in a statement.
“The Akameyimok Lodge’s expansion and renovations will increase the size to 1,700 metres, providing addiction detox, holistic treatment, and ongoing outpatient services.”
Construction is set to begin in earnest in March, with the wellness centre expected to cost $16 million, along with $8 million for the lodge’s renovations. The money for the projects, along with five years of operating funding, was announced in 2022 by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a visit to the community in the aftermath of the mass killing.
The wellness centre will take an estimated 515 days to build, while the renovations to the lodge are expected to take 292 days, the First Nation noted.
“Through the sod-turning ceremony, we open a new chapter for wellness in our community so that our people can heal,” James Smith Chief Kirby Constant said in a statement.
“The objective is to help individuals, families and our youth.”
Chief Robert Head, of the Peter Chapman band, noted that the designs of the new centre will reflect Cree culture and traditions.
“Our people are connected to the land, and it will be reflected in the new Wellness Centre,” Head said in a statement.
Chief Calvin Sanderson, of the Chakastaypasin Band, noted that the community was closely involved in the design process for the wellness centre.
“A focus will be put on a connection to the outdoors, with earthy tones and natural elements. The facilities will be welcoming for members wanting mental health and addictions services and their families,” Sanderson said in a statement.
