HIP members help build home on Reserve on Bruce Peninsula.
Jim and Marjorie Dawson, Co-chairs of Rotary District 7090’s Rotary Honouring Indigenous Peoples, participated in a two-day Habitat for Humanity build in the community of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation on the Bruce Peninsula.A group was organised by John Bedell from Fort Erie to bring a diverse group together to build homes on the reserve. This collaboration, through the Grey Bruce Habitat organisation, has helped build nineteen homes on the reserve since 2016.
PHOTO 1: Jim centre right in back row with white hat and Rotary shirt and Marjorie kneeling in front.
There is a large need for new housing on the reserve as families grow and people come back to the community (something that was accelerated during COVID). The community is very supportive of the project with band councillors, the Chief and the housing manager taking time to visit the site and welcome the Habitat team and members of the community hired as apprentice construction managers.
PHOTO 2: Jim Dawson and brother-in-law Jim Powell working on a temporary shelter for Habitat workers at the new build site.
In blazin
g hot weather, two teams of eight worked on two locations- re-purposing a former library into temporary housing for three families and the start of a brand new two-bedroom home. When the team arrived, the foundation was just being poured so we literally built the house from the ground up. The build was using the very efficient ICF Styrofoam block construction and over the two-day build, the team assembled the greater part of the form to pour the basement walls. It was a very rewarding experience to take a group of people who did not know each other and build into a cohesive team to build much needed homes.
g hot weather, two teams of eight worked on two locations- re-purposing a former library into temporary housing for three families and the start of a brand new two-bedroom home. When the team arrived, the foundation was just being poured so we literally built the house from the ground up. The build was using the very efficient ICF Styrofoam block construction and over the two-day build, the team assembled the greater part of the form to pour the basement walls. It was a very rewarding experience to take a group of people who did not know each other and build into a cohesive team to build much needed homes.- Jim Dawson