Welcome news as Mike Holmes weighs in to housing issue

A Vancouver Island man is supportive of a star-powered new partnership as it could affect the longevity of his newly-launched Aboriginal construction program.

Fred MacDonald, Dean of Trades and Applied Technology at the Vancouver Island University (VIU), said he was thrilled to hear that the Assembly of First Nations and celebrity contractor Mike Holmes were teaming up to help First Nations communities build new schools and homes using green technology.

“I am really excited about this initiative to roll-out,” said  MacDonald.

AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo, who is also the chancellor of VIU, made the announcement on July 21 at the 31st annual AFN General Assembly held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in Manitoba.

The AFN and The Holmes Group will select one First Nations community as a pilot project for renovating homes and community buildings that will showcase industry-leading green technologies.

Helping to train First Nations students to go back into their communities and help build sustainable housing is exactly what MacDonald strives to do in his program, which was launched in April 2009.

Education is a large component of the new partnership that will also establish a First Nation Centre of Excellence, using an eco-friendly design.

The first project is designed as a teaching tool that will guide other First Nations about how to take the initiative and build the necessary infrastructure in their own communities.

“Once the first one is done, it is a pebble in the pond; a ripple effect follows,” said Holmes. He added that this would be the beginning of a new way First Nations housing is built.

Celebrity contractor Mike Holmes could have been mistaken for a pop star the way crowds crowded around him to take his picture and get his autograph during the three-day assembly.

Spectators who travelled from around the country to be a part of the assembly crossed their fingers that the television star would choose their home community for the pilot project.

“I hope my reserve is picked. I just love watching him tear down those homes on TV,” said Bev Whitehawk of Kamsack, Sask.

Holmes, who is best known for his television show Holmes on Homes and his commitment to “make it right”, aroused excitement when he promised to improve the sub-par living conditions many Aboriginal communities have been dealing with for decades.

“This is unacceptable, totally unacceptable, and there is ways to do something about it,” said Holmes, referring to the lack of housing in communities and the deplorable living conditions that are responsible for the high rate of illness in First Nations, such as tuberculosis seen on-reserve.

Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada (INAC) has been the recipient of much criticism for First Nations that suffer the consequences associated with overcrowding. On-reserve housing is one of the main responsibilities of INAC, which has been accused of providing insufficient funds and attention to some of the poorest communities in Canada.
According to the 2006 Census, Aboriginal people are four times more likely to live in crowded dwellings than non-Aboriginal people. Likewise, an Aboriginal person in Canada is three times as likely to live in a home in need of major repairs.

Regardless, Holmes stressed that placing blame isn’t helping the communities to move forward.

The Ontario-born contractor said money could no longer be an excuse for remote communities not to have access to the best technology when building.

“This is not hard. I think everyone has this misconception that it’s going to cost way too much money…It’s the easiest thing I have done in my whole life,” said a confident Holmes.

Both Atleo and Holmes shied away from giving the specific cost estimated for the project, but they did say some of the funding would come from The Holmes Group. Other financial partners are still being sought.