July 22, 2025 • 35 mins
How do you create affordable, independent living in a small community? In this episode, we visit Fort St. James, where the new Neghuni Ghunli-un housing facility is providing 36 suites for older adults (55+). Developed in partnership with Nak'azdli Whut'en, this project is the result of a collaboration that reflects the Nation’s leadership in creating culturally safe, community-driven housing solutions. The Nak'azdli Whut'en Nation’s involvement also ensures this project meets the unique needs of its people.
Our guests discuss the challenges of rural housing, the importance of helping seniors age in place, and how keeping elders connected strengthens families, especially in small communities. They also explore why expanding housing efforts into smaller communities is crucial and why focusing beyond the Lower Mainland matters for the future.
Guests:
Paula Wylie, Executive Director, Connexus Community Resources
Kris Neilsen, Family Services and Housing Program Manager, Connexus Community Resources
Learn more about Connexus Community Resources here: https://connexus.ca/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
A home. It's something we all need.
But for too many, having a safe placeto make a home is out of reach.
The challenges can seem insurmountable.
And yet, each and every day,people are coming together
to provide safe, quality and affordablehousing for those in need.
Welcome to Let's Talk Housing.
I'm your host, Mita Naidu.
(00:23):
Join us as we listen toand learn from people in British
Columbia who are creating strong,inclusive communities
where everyone can thrive.
(00:46):
Hello and welcome to Let's Talk Housing.
I'm your host, Mita Naidu.
Joining me today is Paula Wylie,Executive Director at Connexus Community
Resource Center,and Kris Nielsen, Family Services
and Housing Program Manager,also at Connexus.
Today, we'll be discussinga new housing project for seniors in
(01:07):
Fort St. James, a small townin northern central British Columbia.
Before we get underway,I'd like to acknowledge
that I am recording on the uncededand unsurrendered
land of the Halkomelem speaking people. For transparency,
this episode is being recorded
in April 2025 and reflectsthe issues and priorities of that time.
(01:28):
Paula and Kris, welcome to Let's TalkHousing.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi.
First of all, I'll just acknowledge
I'm talking to you from the unceded,traditional territory of
Nak'azdli Whut'en herein greater Fort St. James area.
And I've been with Connexus since 2018.
Taking on the housing piece of management
(01:51):
in the fall of 2023.
So quite new to it all.
And a huge learning curve for housing.
Big demand,as you know, all over the province
and certainly within rural communities,such as where I am in Fort St. James,
it's a big thing.
And, Paula, tell us a bit about yourself.
Thank you for having us here today.
(02:13):
My name is Paula Wylie.
I'm from the Nee Tahi Buhn First Nation.
But live, work and play and grew up on Saik'uz First Nation traditional territory.
I am the Executive Directorat Connexus Community Resources,
and I've been in this position sinceJanuary 2024, but I've been at the agency
in various capacitiessince September of 2006.
(02:37):
Wow. That's great.
Thank you both for joining us.
So, Kris, I'd like to start with you.
Can you tell us a bitabout the Neghuni Ghunli-un
housing project and what makes it unique?
It's a project that I understand...
Paula knows a bit more about the historythan I do.
The discussions started overfive years ago
(02:58):
around the needfor more seniors housing so that
thosethat live here or those that have family
here, have a choice of aging in place.
So as a result of lots of conversation
with the Indigenous communities around
Fort St. James, Fort St. James Municipality,
(03:18):
regional district representativesand the province.
As I understand it,there was a solution that was arrived
at for a independent living facility.
Then things got started with a landblessing, which was kind of cool.
Before everything got startedor before any shovels hit the ground,
(03:40):
there was the land blessingand then shovels dug into the ground
and a bunch of other heavy equipmentand the building started to be erected.
So it's exciting to have a new facilityin Fort St. James.
It's a littlebit techie in the sense that
there's no keys to the building
(04:02):
for residents, it's all a fob system.
It's under lock and key,
so to speak
24/7.
So people have a sense of securitythat live there.
They use their fobto get into the facility,
and they use their fobto open their own apartment.
If there's visitors are coming,there's a panel
that you punch in a resident’s
(04:25):
suite numberor apartment number, rather. And
their phone ringsbecause it's tied to their phone,
and then they can let someone inby pressing a code on their phone.
So that's kind of neat to see that.
That's amazing.
These are these are characteristicsthat are really important for seniors.
I want to just jump backa little bit and talk about the name.
(04:48):
Tell me about the name.How is that name chosen?
The name as I understandit was a consultation.
And Paula, please jump in any time.
Consultation with Nak'azdli elders
and their languagegroup, in terms of deciding
what might be most appropriatefor a seniors facility,
(05:09):
it's kind of neat.
It took me two months to learnhow to pronounce the whole name.
And it is Neghuni Ghunli-un.
And it means knowledgekeepers, loosely translated.
And Paula could share a bit more aroundsome of the history on
(05:30):
how long it took to create the name,what kind of discussion went on.
So I'll defer to Paulafor some more history on that.
Yeah.
So Connexus strives to worktowards reconciliation
and all of the work that we do.
So through this project,we were consulting with
local First Nations communitiesto try to make it...
(05:53):
To work with
and integrate First Nations communitiesand members and language.
We have a bunch of things
that went into this project,a lot of work that went into the project.
And as Kris said,it means knowledge keepers.
And just to back upeven more what this is, a second
build of seniors housingthat Connexus has done.
(06:16):
So we learned from the first oneand during that name
branding that we were trying to come upwith in Vanderhoof, part of it
came with KnowledgeKeepers came from that as well,
but also consultationwith the Nak'azdli elders group.
And we wanted toput something that meant...
(06:37):
was meaningful to the community.
And so we took something that wastranslated into the Carrier language.
And that's very difficult to dobecause it is
it's hard to directly translatefrom English to Carrier.
So we had localelders come up with that translation,
and then we worked with the communities
(06:59):
to come up with syllabics as wellfor the signs within the building.
So the nameand then also within the building as well.
At what point in the consultation,I'm curious, did you bring in the elders?
Was that right at the beginning?
So this project, actually, Krisand I jumped on
not from the beginning.
We continued.
(07:20):
So the individualsthat we're working with to develop
the name are no longer here, butthey met with the elders to consult
and try to learn about the processon how to come up with a name
and how to translate it and come inconsultation.
So this took actually quite a few monthsto be able to...
(07:42):
weekly meetings to get togetherand try to figure out a name
that would be suitable for the community.
The idea of community decision making,
at the
onset of these developmentsis so important and
so profound, actually.
Why was Fort St. James selectedas the location for this development?
(08:04):
Like I said, we've hadanother project that was similar to this.
So we already had relationshipswith the project managers, architects
and we applied for seed funding,all of these things
that we did in one communityand we started it in another.
And so as the build in Vanderhoof happens,we started consulting
(08:26):
with the district of Fort St. James,like Kris said, and First Nations communities
and BC Housing and so many other partners,
to be able to know that there was a needin a small community.
And I want to highlight that.
That it’s not often selectedto come to small communities.
And it's really hard to find a rental
(08:48):
or any housing in Fort St. Jamesand the area,
and also affordable housing,because a lot of seniors that need housing
might be at a lower income and not be ableto afford general market rent.
So we worked with BC Housing
to be able to develop somethingthat would be accessible and affordable
(09:08):
in a small communityso elders and seniors could age in place.
Absolutely.
And I think that's the beautyof this particular project, and why
we wanted to have you onthe podcast is because of that
really localized identity.
This project really specifically meets theneeds of the seniors in that community.
(09:30):
And that's incrediblyunique and special.
What does it mean, Paula,for seniors in your area
to have safeand culturally connected housing
that allows them to age in place?
Yes.
It means so much.
So Fort St. James and Kriscan probably talk more to this
because she lives in Fort St. James.
(09:51):
But there's so many outlyingFirst Nations communities
around Fort St. James.
So Fort St. James is really ahub and Nak'azdli is a hub
for people to come into the communityfor so many things.
So it's really importantto be able to have something that's right
in the community, to be able to downsizeif they need to or move back.
(10:16):
Kris has some wonderful storiesthat we'll share later about others
that have moved into this new housing facility.
Yeah. Kris, jump in
and tell us some of these stories.
We'd love to hear them.
One of the womenthat has moved back, she was
employed within the school
(10:37):
district for many, many yearsand retired and moved away for 20 years
and chose to move back from the LowerMainland
last year, with a relative.
And so they're both here again.
And she is quite excitedabout reconnecting
with friends and family that
(10:58):
she maybe hasn'ttalked to for a number of years.
She's really enjoying the facility itself.
One of thelittle things I didn't even think of
is during the winterand we do get winter...
Because the hallways are quite wide,
this is one of the piecesthat she brought up,
(11:19):
is that she and other tenants are usingthe hallway,
were using the hallways in the wintertime as walking trails.
There's four stories in the building,so to speak, in a sense.
So there are three options for hallwaysto be able to go up and down
through the elevatorand walk the hallways. So,
(11:41):
I thought that was kind of interesting.
Very resourceful in subzero weather.
Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah.
Because we are in a not so friendly area
of the provincefor some winter conditions.
Not always, but... So that was kind of fun.
Another person that chose to stay here,
(12:03):
her and her late husband,when he was still alive,
they would summer hereafter they retired.
They worked here for many, many yearsand then go south for the winter.
And once her husband passed away,she decided no,
because she has family here,
she would like to stay here.
So she is thrilled to have
(12:26):
secured an apartment in the facility.
And that's kind of nice too,because her relatives, her children,
her adult children and grandchildren can come and visit.
She can come and go.
And that was another thingthat was nice for people is feeling that
they can leave their apartmentand know that it's secure
because it's inside of a complexand it's locked.
(12:48):
And if you go awayfor a couple of weeks, that's okay.
Every one of the apartments has a balcony.
And the apartment complex itself was built
so that apartmentsare east and west facing.
So you're eithergetting the sunrise or the sunset and,
(13:09):
of course, the westfacing apartments are popular
because you get a view of StuartLake here in Fort St. James.
The eastern facing apartmentsare also a favourite for some residents
because they get to look out on treesand some wilderness.
And if they're fortunate,they will see a large,
(13:30):
black, four legged friend
or such.
So, we have had to put up warnings on the doors. In the spring,
I anticipate we'll have to do this againand certainly did in the fall, because
the building is so closeto a treed area or a forest area.
(13:50):
There are bears that travel through FortSt. James on a regular basis.
And so I anticipate,just as I did in the fall,
I will do that in the spring hereand have to put,
make sure you're watching beforeyou walk out of the building just in case,
because there is a route for the bearsbetween our building and the house
(14:11):
next to us.
Just it's a smaller area,
but, yeah, they will go where they will go.
Another lady
shared that she was excitedto have a place of her own.
She'd been living here for quite some timewith her adult
son, and so was very excited to be able
(14:31):
to move in to Neghuni,have an apartment for herself
start to socializewith seniors of similar age.
And there is quite a group of seniors
now that all get together in the amenitiesroom, whether it's to build a puzzle,
whether it's to just have coffee,whether it's to have a potluck.
(14:52):
Actually, this Friday,
I was just up at the facility this morningand saw
a sign up.
They're inviting all theresidents to come and have a barbecue and
like any kind of potluck,you know, who's going to bring the cheese?
Who is going to bring the buns? Who'sgoing to bring the fruit?
That kind of thing.
So it's kind of fun that we seethat all the time that people
(15:15):
are going to feel comfortablewith their new neighbours
and making it
a neighbourhood within the building.
They’re community building.
They are definitely doing that.
So there’s another person I'm thinking of...
is it's really hardto recruit professionals to the community.
And so we have recruited two professionalsthat were not from Fort St. James,
(15:40):
and they've invited or moved their familyalong with them, and they were able
to move into the seniors housing unit,in Fort St. James and Neghuni.
And I think that's really importantto note that you can also support
others in order for retentionfor professionals.
Right?
(16:00):
So it'sgreat to have that option
for thathousing to keep families together.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's beautiful.
It's attracting people.
The idea of the bears
is actually really funbecause they have not been transplanted.
They have a route, as you were saying.
They are also aging in place.
(16:20):
What does aging in place mean,
Paula, for Indigenous communities?
Yeah.
So already it's really importantto stay part of a community.
And if you can stay part of a community, maybe that's really close.
And I want to say that we live ina place
(16:42):
where the communities are about 45 minutesapart, let's say.
And so to stay within this area, to beable to gather with friends and family,
like Kris is talking about the communitythat's within Neghuni Ghunli-un...
That's also, so that they can stillparticipate in Easter,
or Christmas dinnersor different types of gatherings
(17:04):
that they would not be able to doif they had to move out of the community.
So it's great to be able to still
take part
in traditional activitiesthat are happening on the weekends
and then just go backand sit in to into the nice, beautiful,
brand new build at Neghuni Ghunli-un.
(17:25):
That's beautiful.
Tell us about the collaboration it tookto kind of build this amazing project.
There were many partners.Tell me more about that.
So many partners.
So from week to week,Kris and I would meet with
construction companies and architects,
project managers that are all...
(17:47):
these are people all over the province.
And then also Kris is in Fort St.James, I’m in Vanderhoof, like,
we all worked together on thisand BC Housing...
There were so many partners to be ableto get together from week to week to talk
about the progress and the build and the excitement of it coming together.
(18:08):
But then also, there was some barriers
and things that happenedthat would set it back.
And then we all get togetherand talk and see...
problem solve, troubleshoot,
do like different things togetherand work as a team to be able to build.
It was such a great learning opportunityto be part of that process.
(18:28):
We now know a few more acronyms
when it comes to construction.
I'm sure you can pull off the next project.
We really had to ask a lot of questions aboutwhat does that mean?
I mean, tell me about the artwork.
I heard there's great artwork there.
The artwork is coming.
I've just had an opportunity to contact
(18:49):
artists within the greater areathat Connexus serves.
So Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake.
I have artists from those threecommunities, I have an artist from Saik'uz .
I have some interesting pieces in thatthey're not traditional art,
but they are traditional,pieces of Nak'azdli.
(19:10):
And so I'm excitedto put those into a shadow box, because
they will tell a story around the use and
I also have a piece of bone
that would be used for tanning hide,I think.
Or is it skinning hide?
I might be getting this wrong,but I thought
that was a neat piece to addbecause it's not something you would think
(19:33):
necessarily of as an art piece,because it is a utility for hides.
So I thought that would bean interesting part
to have as an artistic story. I have an artist...
or a couple of artists from PrinceGeorge, one of which is Indigenous.
Artists from Vanderhoof,
artists from FraserLake and Fort St. James itself.
(19:53):
So yeah, I'm looking forward to hanging
hopefully in the next month and then
having a little bit of a celebrationwith artists and the tenants themselves.
So the tenants get to meetmaybe some of the artists,
if they're available to come to FortSt. James, and the artists
get to meet each other.
I thought that would be kind of funfor both the tenants and the artists
(20:14):
themselves to see where their art is being hung in the building.
And it's very, a mix of
photographers andtraditional kind of painting
in different mediums and Indigenous artwork.
So I think the pieces will speak to peoplein different ways.
(20:35):
Just as the personalitiesof the tenants are varied,
so it will be the art.
And as people enter the building,you want them to see
local art or local artists,
they want to feel
welcome and safe and comfortable.
And when you see somethingthat is from your area or you know
(20:57):
the artist, it means something differentor it means so much
when you see that piece of art in there.
And that's what we wanted to create
is a comfortable space for everybodythat they could all relate to.
Yeah.
I mean, I think the idea of art,aging in place, seniors,
I mean, it's all just such a beautiful
(21:18):
collaboration of ideas.
How can this project serveas a model for others in the future?
Like whatare you thinking for the future, Paula?
For the area.
There's so many opportunitiesfor the future.
We've already, because of the two buildsthat we have done, we've been contacted
multiple times, from across the province,even, because we have some
(21:42):
experience with building affordablehousing.
Right?
So along with thatcan come programing as well.
And all of it isjust so that seniors
are able to age in place in their homes.
So we do have the experienceand we do have the knowledge,
to be able to buildwithin the smaller communities.
(22:05):
That's very, very important.
I would love to know a little bit moreabout the future of Indigenous led housing
projects and partnerships with government, unfold that for me.
Yeah.
So partnerships is really important.
It can goright from just a consultation.
(22:27):
So there's been times that other communities have reached out to us
just for the knowledge or questionslike you've been through this process.
Can you help us through this process?
It doesn't have to be Connexusbuilding it.
It can be connexus helpingconnect them with the training
or the project managers or architectsor enabling the communities to be able
(22:49):
to build within their own,because it's very important
to build within your own communitiesrather than...
so there's lots of timeswhere we reached out to from hours away.
And as much as I would love
to help build that, it really is important
to use the resources that you haveand build within your own community.
(23:10):
So if we could help in that wayin any way,
then that would be fantastic for Connexus to do.
I think you've modeledreally the future of these collaborations.
It's really amazing.
And I'm so moved by howthis has shaped up for seniors.
I have a senior aging at home in my home.
(23:32):
And I think about these projectsand their impact in community,
and it's just... Yeah, it's wonderful.
I think one of the things that we can talkabout is in small communities
is the challenges aroundwhat isn't in the community as well.
We don't have rapid transitor any transit.
(23:52):
We don't have a bus system.
We don't have Uber.
We don't have all sorts of things.
So that's very importantwhen you're looking at
where you're situating a building is...
Is it accessible to
a pharmacy, to a hospital, to
the banking institutionsor the grocery stores in your community?
(24:16):
And certainly Ford St.James isn't a huge community.
So I could argue that, yes,it's fairly accessible.
It's on a hill that affords ita great view.
So that is a little bit of a challenge,but it is in the community.
And I think that's very importantwhen we're talking about rural communities
where you situate any kind of seniorshousing complex to ensure
(24:40):
that there is ease of access
to infrastructure and services that
that senior either needs right now, or
you could anticipate the senior will needsin the near future.
So I just wanted to add in there,there was just a little bit of a funny
tidbit, what you were talking about
(25:00):
like having your own family,that you want to age in place.
I've already picked out units formy family members that are aging as well.
Letting them know we haveall of these wonderful units
that are available at Neghuni,but also we have a huge other
array of housingwithin the communities that we serve.
(25:23):
But it's just great to knowthat we have that option.
And then as you build,there's such a process with it.
So Kris and I
came on the end of the project to helpit come to completion.
And then now wrapping upand moving people in and trying to make it
comfortable, a place for everyone to live.
But it just takes so many partnersand so many people to make that happen.
(25:47):
Because, as Kris said, it took overfive years of planning to start this,
to apply for seed funding, to workwith the communities, with the district,
with First Nations communities,with BC Housing, with all partners.
It takes so muchto make it come to move in ready.
And it's wonderful.
(26:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's a complex project
to get to this beautiful placeand a complex journey.
Is Neghuni available for extended family
living, in that sense? Like you werementioning, you've got units.
They're all one bedroom units.
So unfortunately,
(26:27):
any type of family opportunityisn't there.
We do have something uniquethat is going on, though, and that is
we have an agreement with
Primary Care Society,
and we're extending that agreement a bit
so that if we have health professionals
coming in and again, in a rural setting,you have some challenges around
(26:53):
securing and recruitingand retaining all health professionals.
So two of our units right noware used for nursing staff
that may be rotating in for certain
contract hours and then rotating out.
So that's been helpful.
And it benefits our hospital.
It benefits our community.
(27:14):
And so that's very helpful.
And one of the nurses that has come in
that way is now actually going to moveto Fort St. James in May.
And she will be renting one of the apartments.
Not the ones that are attachedto the primary care but
taking ona rental of an apartment to herself.
(27:36):
So I'm excited to see hercome and live in Fort St. James.
That's actually a really unique featurethat I wasn't aware of.
The ability.
Yeah. Very unique. It is a unique feature.
And I think as well, maybe what we haven'tcovered yet is who is this for?
It is for seniors 55 plus, but it's alsofor individuals with disabilities.
(27:58):
So I think Kris can speak more to this.
We do have some units that are accessible,and then we also have
some units that can be converted to be accessible.
So maybe I'll let Kris talk a little bitabout that.
Yeah.
Our ground floorif you will, which faces our parking lot.
So it faces west.
Three of those units were designed for
(28:18):
those that are dependent on a wheelchair
or some other type ofmobility assistance.
And the other three unitson that floor are adaptable.
So they could be converted if needed to
be wheelchair accessible as well.
And I did misspeak a bit, Paula,when you were talking
(28:39):
about the family piece, becausewe're situated next to the hospital
where there a need for a family to
be close to a relativethat might be in the hospital.
That was also partof the planning in this facility,
so that one of those ground floorunits could be used for short
(29:00):
term stay, for a family,for temporary stay.
While the relative
or possibly the person that is havingto go back and forth to the hospital
could stay in a unit for a temporaryamount of time while their
health needs are being addressed.
So that's another unique piece.
And keeping that type
(29:22):
of uniqueness to that ground floor,
where they can come and gowith much more ease than if they were on
the upper floors where they're havingto go through the elevator system.
And this way it's much more accessible.
Yeah.
And we have so many surroundingcommunities that need a place to stay
(29:45):
within Fort St. James.
So it really allows for them to
visit or to stay close to their family members
that might be in the hospital, becausethis is built right beside the hospital.
Yeah.
That's beautiful.
And I think this project is just so uniquebecause it's fulfilled all these
different gaps that you guys have assessedand witnessed in community.
(30:10):
And this one projectreally does address almost everything.
You know, and yeah, it's beautiful.
Is there anything elsethat you wanted to add about the project?
I have had a resident recently say, Kris,
I think we need gardenbeds for vegetables and things like that.
So, I have made a couple applicationsfor grants,
(30:32):
and we'll see what happens, becauseI would love to be able to accommodate,
even if it's just a small greenhouse,because, again, that lends to activity.
It's socializing,
growing your own vegetables,
which also could relateto another type of potluck
for a barbecue and fresh salad.
(30:54):
So yeah,trying to create more opportunities where
possible for the tenants to build their
tenant community further.
And we certainly do havea diverse number of people that live there
that have different ethnic backgrounds.
We have families members
(31:16):
that have moved across the countryto Fort St. James
because their grandchildrenor children live here in Fort St. James.
And so they've relocated from Ontario
or Vancouver or Prince George or Edmonton.
So that's kind of interestingtoo, to see the diversity.
And we have Indigenous eldersthat are there from
(31:39):
more than one of the local bandcommunities in the Fort St. James area.
So that's kind of nice.
Nak'azdli Whut'en,
Binche,
Tl'azt'en,
Tache Lake and K'uzche,
are the
Indigenous communitiesthat are adjacent to Fort St. James itself.
(32:02):
Nak'azdli is literally the middleof a street.
In terms of
the geographic boundary,if you will, that you would see in maps
between the communities.
So you just cross the streetand you're in one community or the other,
which is kind of neat.
And as we've talked aboutNak'azdli was a very big piece,
stakeholder in the communityin terms of
(32:25):
the buildingand the naming and respecting
that we're on unceded traditionalterritory of Nak'azdli as well.
Yeah.
Going from the landblessing like Kris said,
in consultingwith Nak'azdli and then the name,
trying to come up the name with a carriername,
that's very meaningful.
And then as we had an open houseto invite everyone to come together
(32:49):
and get to know one another and justcelebrate the grand opening of Neghuni,
we even invited local knowledgekeepers and
prayers or drummingany of those types of things.
It's incorporating the First Nationsculture within
it has been a big part of this project.
And as you mentioned too, the signagebeing in the three language pieces.
(33:12):
And that's all the signage for the building.
So there's nothingthat isn't recognized
culturally with all three languages.
And I think just to add in therethat Connexus
does whatever we canwhenever we see there's a community need.
I'm thankfulthat you noticed that there...
(33:36):
with this one project,there's so many gaps that it helped
come together.
There's even programingthat we have
within Neghuni that seniors and elders
can access to help live independently.
Yeah, we certainly have seen evidenceof that already.
(33:56):
One of the residents was quite excited
that we have the new positionthat allows that
she could seek some resources thatshe needed and was successful in that.
And finding out about assistanceis there provincially
and right,but can access it as locally as possible.
So I think that's a big piece as well.
(34:18):
And that seniorsconnector person is in Fort St. James once a week
and they're either at Neghuni orthey're at our seniors recreation center.
So they're connectingwith a variety of people, and it's nice
for seniorsto know that we have those pieces
(34:39):
present in the community.
The seniors and elders in Fort St. Jamesare really lucky to have this project.
And they deserve it.
And thank you to the both of youfor putting your time
and your attention to this journeyof building this amazing project.
Keep in touch with us and let us knowwhat's in the future for your community.
(35:01):
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
To learn more about BC Housing,
including how to apply for subsidizedhousing in British Columbia, visit
www.bchousing.org.
You can also find uson Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
(35:22):
If you enjoyed this episode,give us a rating.
This will help others find Let's TalkHousing and join the conversation.
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or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
A home. It's something we all need.
But for too many, having a safe placeto make a home is out of reach.
The challenges can seem insurmountable.
And yet, each and every day,people are coming together
to provide safe, quality and affordablehousing for those in need.
Welcome to Let's Talk Housing.
I'm your host, Mita Naidu.
(00:23):
Join us as we listen toand learn from people in British
Columbia who are creating strong,inclusive communities
where everyone can thrive.
(00:46):
Hello and welcome to Let's Talk Housing.
I'm your host, Mita Naidu.
Joining me today is Paula Wylie,Executive Director at Connexus Community
Resource Center,and Kris Nielsen, Family Services
and Housing Program Manager,also at Connexus.
Today, we'll be discussinga new housing project for seniors in
(01:07):
Fort St. James, a small townin northern central British Columbia.
Before we get underway,I'd like to acknowledge
that I am recording on the uncededand unsurrendered
land of the Halkomelem speaking people. For transparency,
this episode is being recorded
in April 2025 and reflectsthe issues and priorities of that time.
(01:28):
Paula and Kris, welcome to Let's TalkHousing.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi.
First of all, I'll just acknowledge
I'm talking to you from the unceded,traditional territory of
Nak'azdli Whut'en herein greater Fort St. James area.
And I've been with Connexus since 2018.
Taking on the housing piece of management
(01:51):
in the fall of 2023.
So quite new to it all.
And a huge learning curve for housing.
Big demand,as you know, all over the province
and certainly within rural communities,such as where I am in Fort St. James,
it's a big thing.
And, Paula, tell us a bit about yourself.
Thank you for having us here today.
(02:13):
My name is Paula Wylie.
I'm from the Nee Tahi Buhn First Nation.
But live, work and play and grew up on Saik'uz First Nation traditional territory.
I am the Executive Directorat Connexus Community Resources,
and I've been in this position sinceJanuary 2024, but I've been at the agency
in various capacitiessince September of 2006.
(02:37):
Wow. That's great.
Thank you both for joining us.
So, Kris, I'd like to start with you.
Can you tell us a bitabout the Neghuni Ghunli-un
housing project and what makes it unique?
It's a project that I understand...
Paula knows a bit more about the historythan I do.
The discussions started overfive years ago
(02:58):
around the needfor more seniors housing so that
thosethat live here or those that have family
here, have a choice of aging in place.
So as a result of lots of conversation
with the Indigenous communities around
Fort St. James, Fort St. James Municipality,
(03:18):
regional district representativesand the province.
As I understand it,there was a solution that was arrived
at for a independent living facility.
Then things got started with a landblessing, which was kind of cool.
Before everything got startedor before any shovels hit the ground,
(03:40):
there was the land blessingand then shovels dug into the ground
and a bunch of other heavy equipmentand the building started to be erected.
So it's exciting to have a new facilityin Fort St. James.
It's a littlebit techie in the sense that
there's no keys to the building
(04:02):
for residents, it's all a fob system.
It's under lock and key,
so to speak
24/7.
So people have a sense of securitythat live there.
They use their fobto get into the facility,
and they use their fobto open their own apartment.
If there's visitors are coming,there's a panel
that you punch in a resident’s
(04:25):
suite numberor apartment number, rather. And
their phone ringsbecause it's tied to their phone,
and then they can let someone inby pressing a code on their phone.
So that's kind of neat to see that.
That's amazing.
These are these are characteristicsthat are really important for seniors.
I want to just jump backa little bit and talk about the name.
(04:48):
Tell me about the name.How is that name chosen?
The name as I understandit was a consultation.
And Paula, please jump in any time.
Consultation with Nak'azdli elders
and their languagegroup, in terms of deciding
what might be most appropriatefor a seniors facility,
(05:09):
it's kind of neat.
It took me two months to learnhow to pronounce the whole name.
And it is Neghuni Ghunli-un.
And it means knowledgekeepers, loosely translated.
And Paula could share a bit more aroundsome of the history on
(05:30):
how long it took to create the name,what kind of discussion went on.
So I'll defer to Paulafor some more history on that.
Yeah.
So Connexus strives to worktowards reconciliation
and all of the work that we do.
So through this project,we were consulting with
local First Nations communitiesto try to make it...
(05:53):
To work with
and integrate First Nations communitiesand members and language.
We have a bunch of things
that went into this project,a lot of work that went into the project.
And as Kris said,it means knowledge keepers.
And just to back upeven more what this is, a second
build of seniors housingthat Connexus has done.
(06:16):
So we learned from the first oneand during that name
branding that we were trying to come upwith in Vanderhoof, part of it
came with KnowledgeKeepers came from that as well,
but also consultationwith the Nak'azdli elders group.
And we wanted toput something that meant...
(06:37):
was meaningful to the community.
And so we took something that wastranslated into the Carrier language.
And that's very difficult to dobecause it is
it's hard to directly translatefrom English to Carrier.
So we had localelders come up with that translation,
and then we worked with the communities
(06:59):
to come up with syllabics as wellfor the signs within the building.
So the nameand then also within the building as well.
At what point in the consultation,I'm curious, did you bring in the elders?
Was that right at the beginning?
So this project, actually, Krisand I jumped on
not from the beginning.
We continued.
(07:20):
So the individualsthat we're working with to develop
the name are no longer here, butthey met with the elders to consult
and try to learn about the processon how to come up with a name
and how to translate it and come inconsultation.
So this took actually quite a few monthsto be able to...
(07:42):
weekly meetings to get togetherand try to figure out a name
that would be suitable for the community.
The idea of community decision making,
at the
onset of these developmentsis so important and
so profound, actually.
Why was Fort St. James selectedas the location for this development?
(08:04):
Like I said, we've hadanother project that was similar to this.
So we already had relationshipswith the project managers, architects
and we applied for seed funding,all of these things
that we did in one communityand we started it in another.
And so as the build in Vanderhoof happens,we started consulting
(08:26):
with the district of Fort St. James,like Kris said, and First Nations communities
and BC Housing and so many other partners,
to be able to know that there was a needin a small community.
And I want to highlight that.
That it’s not often selectedto come to small communities.
And it's really hard to find a rental
(08:48):
or any housing in Fort St. Jamesand the area,
and also affordable housing,because a lot of seniors that need housing
might be at a lower income and not be ableto afford general market rent.
So we worked with BC Housing
to be able to develop somethingthat would be accessible and affordable
(09:08):
in a small communityso elders and seniors could age in place.
Absolutely.
And I think that's the beautyof this particular project, and why
we wanted to have you onthe podcast is because of that
really localized identity.
This project really specifically meets theneeds of the seniors in that community.
(09:30):
And that's incrediblyunique and special.
What does it mean, Paula,for seniors in your area
to have safeand culturally connected housing
that allows them to age in place?
Yes.
It means so much.
So Fort St. James and Kriscan probably talk more to this
because she lives in Fort St. James.
(09:51):
But there's so many outlyingFirst Nations communities
around Fort St. James.
So Fort St. James is really ahub and Nak'azdli is a hub
for people to come into the communityfor so many things.
So it's really importantto be able to have something that's right
in the community, to be able to downsizeif they need to or move back.
(10:16):
Kris has some wonderful storiesthat we'll share later about others
that have moved into this new housing facility.
Yeah. Kris, jump in
and tell us some of these stories.
We'd love to hear them.
One of the womenthat has moved back, she was
employed within the school
(10:37):
district for many, many yearsand retired and moved away for 20 years
and chose to move back from the LowerMainland
last year, with a relative.
And so they're both here again.
And she is quite excitedabout reconnecting
with friends and family that
(10:58):
she maybe hasn'ttalked to for a number of years.
She's really enjoying the facility itself.
One of thelittle things I didn't even think of
is during the winterand we do get winter...
Because the hallways are quite wide,
this is one of the piecesthat she brought up,
(11:19):
is that she and other tenants are usingthe hallway,
were using the hallways in the wintertime as walking trails.
There's four stories in the building,so to speak, in a sense.
So there are three options for hallwaysto be able to go up and down
through the elevatorand walk the hallways. So,
(11:41):
I thought that was kind of interesting.
Very resourceful in subzero weather.
Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah.
Because we are in a not so friendly area
of the provincefor some winter conditions.
Not always, but... So that was kind of fun.
Another person that chose to stay here,
(12:03):
her and her late husband,when he was still alive,
they would summer hereafter they retired.
They worked here for many, many yearsand then go south for the winter.
And once her husband passed away,she decided no,
because she has family here,
she would like to stay here.
So she is thrilled to have
(12:26):
secured an apartment in the facility.
And that's kind of nice too,because her relatives, her children,
her adult children and grandchildren can come and visit.
She can come and go.
And that was another thingthat was nice for people is feeling that
they can leave their apartmentand know that it's secure
because it's inside of a complexand it's locked.
(12:48):
And if you go awayfor a couple of weeks, that's okay.
Every one of the apartments has a balcony.
And the apartment complex itself was built
so that apartmentsare east and west facing.
So you're eithergetting the sunrise or the sunset and,
(13:09):
of course, the westfacing apartments are popular
because you get a view of StuartLake here in Fort St. James.
The eastern facing apartmentsare also a favourite for some residents
because they get to look out on treesand some wilderness.
And if they're fortunate,they will see a large,
(13:30):
black, four legged friend
or such.
So, we have had to put up warnings on the doors. In the spring,
I anticipate we'll have to do this againand certainly did in the fall, because
the building is so closeto a treed area or a forest area.
(13:50):
There are bears that travel through FortSt. James on a regular basis.
And so I anticipate,just as I did in the fall,
I will do that in the spring hereand have to put,
make sure you're watching beforeyou walk out of the building just in case,
because there is a route for the bearsbetween our building and the house
(14:11):
next to us.
Just it's a smaller area,
but, yeah, they will go where they will go.
Another lady
shared that she was excitedto have a place of her own.
She'd been living here for quite some timewith her adult
son, and so was very excited to be able
(14:31):
to move in to Neghuni,have an apartment for herself
start to socializewith seniors of similar age.
And there is quite a group of seniors
now that all get together in the amenitiesroom, whether it's to build a puzzle,
whether it's to just have coffee,whether it's to have a potluck.
(14:52):
Actually, this Friday,
I was just up at the facility this morningand saw
a sign up.
They're inviting all theresidents to come and have a barbecue and
like any kind of potluck,you know, who's going to bring the cheese?
Who is going to bring the buns? Who'sgoing to bring the fruit?
That kind of thing.
So it's kind of fun that we seethat all the time that people
(15:15):
are going to feel comfortablewith their new neighbours
and making it
a neighbourhood within the building.
They’re community building.
They are definitely doing that.
So there’s another person I'm thinking of...
is it's really hardto recruit professionals to the community.
And so we have recruited two professionalsthat were not from Fort St. James,
(15:40):
and they've invited or moved their familyalong with them, and they were able
to move into the seniors housing unit,in Fort St. James and Neghuni.
And I think that's really importantto note that you can also support
others in order for retentionfor professionals.
Right?
(16:00):
So it'sgreat to have that option
for thathousing to keep families together.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's beautiful.
It's attracting people.
The idea of the bears
is actually really funbecause they have not been transplanted.
They have a route, as you were saying.
They are also aging in place.
(16:20):
What does aging in place mean,
Paula, for Indigenous communities?
Yeah.
So already it's really importantto stay part of a community.
And if you can stay part of a community, maybe that's really close.
And I want to say that we live ina place
(16:42):
where the communities are about 45 minutesapart, let's say.
And so to stay within this area, to beable to gather with friends and family,
like Kris is talking about the communitythat's within Neghuni Ghunli-un...
That's also, so that they can stillparticipate in Easter,
or Christmas dinnersor different types of gatherings
(17:04):
that they would not be able to doif they had to move out of the community.
So it's great to be able to still
take part
in traditional activitiesthat are happening on the weekends
and then just go backand sit in to into the nice, beautiful,
brand new build at Neghuni Ghunli-un.
(17:25):
That's beautiful.
Tell us about the collaboration it tookto kind of build this amazing project.
There were many partners.Tell me more about that.
So many partners.
So from week to week,Kris and I would meet with
construction companies and architects,
project managers that are all...
(17:47):
these are people all over the province.
And then also Kris is in Fort St.James, I’m in Vanderhoof, like,
we all worked together on thisand BC Housing...
There were so many partners to be ableto get together from week to week to talk
about the progress and the build and the excitement of it coming together.
(18:08):
But then also, there was some barriers
and things that happenedthat would set it back.
And then we all get togetherand talk and see...
problem solve, troubleshoot,
do like different things togetherand work as a team to be able to build.
It was such a great learning opportunityto be part of that process.
(18:28):
We now know a few more acronyms
when it comes to construction.
I'm sure you can pull off the next project.
We really had to ask a lot of questions aboutwhat does that mean?
I mean, tell me about the artwork.
I heard there's great artwork there.
The artwork is coming.
I've just had an opportunity to contact
(18:49):
artists within the greater areathat Connexus serves.
So Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake.
I have artists from those threecommunities, I have an artist from Saik'uz .
I have some interesting pieces in thatthey're not traditional art,
but they are traditional,pieces of Nak'azdli.
(19:10):
And so I'm excitedto put those into a shadow box, because
they will tell a story around the use and
I also have a piece of bone
that would be used for tanning hide,I think.
Or is it skinning hide?
I might be getting this wrong,but I thought
that was a neat piece to addbecause it's not something you would think
(19:33):
necessarily of as an art piece,because it is a utility for hides.
So I thought that would bean interesting part
to have as an artistic story. I have an artist...
or a couple of artists from PrinceGeorge, one of which is Indigenous.
Artists from Vanderhoof,
artists from FraserLake and Fort St. James itself.
(19:53):
So yeah, I'm looking forward to hanging
hopefully in the next month and then
having a little bit of a celebrationwith artists and the tenants themselves.
So the tenants get to meetmaybe some of the artists,
if they're available to come to FortSt. James, and the artists
get to meet each other.
I thought that would be kind of funfor both the tenants and the artists
(20:14):
themselves to see where their art is being hung in the building.
And it's very, a mix of
photographers andtraditional kind of painting
in different mediums and Indigenous artwork.
So I think the pieces will speak to peoplein different ways.
(20:35):
Just as the personalitiesof the tenants are varied,
so it will be the art.
And as people enter the building,you want them to see
local art or local artists,
they want to feel
welcome and safe and comfortable.
And when you see somethingthat is from your area or you know
(20:57):
the artist, it means something differentor it means so much
when you see that piece of art in there.
And that's what we wanted to create
is a comfortable space for everybodythat they could all relate to.
Yeah.
I mean, I think the idea of art,aging in place, seniors,
I mean, it's all just such a beautiful
(21:18):
collaboration of ideas.
How can this project serveas a model for others in the future?
Like whatare you thinking for the future, Paula?
For the area.
There's so many opportunitiesfor the future.
We've already, because of the two buildsthat we have done, we've been contacted
multiple times, from across the province,even, because we have some
(21:42):
experience with building affordablehousing.
Right?
So along with thatcan come programing as well.
And all of it isjust so that seniors
are able to age in place in their homes.
So we do have the experienceand we do have the knowledge,
to be able to buildwithin the smaller communities.
(22:05):
That's very, very important.
I would love to know a little bit moreabout the future of Indigenous led housing
projects and partnerships with government, unfold that for me.
Yeah.
So partnerships is really important.
It can goright from just a consultation.
(22:27):
So there's been times that other communities have reached out to us
just for the knowledge or questionslike you've been through this process.
Can you help us through this process?
It doesn't have to be Connexusbuilding it.
It can be connexus helpingconnect them with the training
or the project managers or architectsor enabling the communities to be able
(22:49):
to build within their own,because it's very important
to build within your own communitiesrather than...
so there's lots of timeswhere we reached out to from hours away.
And as much as I would love
to help build that, it really is important
to use the resources that you haveand build within your own community.
(23:10):
So if we could help in that wayin any way,
then that would be fantastic for Connexus to do.
I think you've modeledreally the future of these collaborations.
It's really amazing.
And I'm so moved by howthis has shaped up for seniors.
I have a senior aging at home in my home.
(23:32):
And I think about these projectsand their impact in community,
and it's just... Yeah, it's wonderful.
I think one of the things that we can talkabout is in small communities
is the challenges aroundwhat isn't in the community as well.
We don't have rapid transitor any transit.
(23:52):
We don't have a bus system.
We don't have Uber.
We don't have all sorts of things.
So that's very importantwhen you're looking at
where you're situating a building is...
Is it accessible to
a pharmacy, to a hospital, to
the banking institutionsor the grocery stores in your community?
(24:16):
And certainly Ford St.James isn't a huge community.
So I could argue that, yes,it's fairly accessible.
It's on a hill that affords ita great view.
So that is a little bit of a challenge,but it is in the community.
And I think that's very importantwhen we're talking about rural communities
where you situate any kind of seniorshousing complex to ensure
(24:40):
that there is ease of access
to infrastructure and services that
that senior either needs right now, or
you could anticipate the senior will needsin the near future.
So I just wanted to add in there,there was just a little bit of a funny
tidbit, what you were talking about
(25:00):
like having your own family,that you want to age in place.
I've already picked out units formy family members that are aging as well.
Letting them know we haveall of these wonderful units
that are available at Neghuni,but also we have a huge other
array of housingwithin the communities that we serve.
(25:23):
But it's just great to knowthat we have that option.
And then as you build,there's such a process with it.
So Kris and I
came on the end of the project to helpit come to completion.
And then now wrapping upand moving people in and trying to make it
comfortable, a place for everyone to live.
But it just takes so many partnersand so many people to make that happen.
(25:47):
Because, as Kris said, it took overfive years of planning to start this,
to apply for seed funding, to workwith the communities, with the district,
with First Nations communities,with BC Housing, with all partners.
It takes so muchto make it come to move in ready.
And it's wonderful.
(26:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's a complex project
to get to this beautiful placeand a complex journey.
Is Neghuni available for extended family
living, in that sense? Like you werementioning, you've got units.
They're all one bedroom units.
So unfortunately,
(26:27):
any type of family opportunityisn't there.
We do have something uniquethat is going on, though, and that is
we have an agreement with
Primary Care Society,
and we're extending that agreement a bit
so that if we have health professionals
coming in and again, in a rural setting,you have some challenges around
(26:53):
securing and recruitingand retaining all health professionals.
So two of our units right noware used for nursing staff
that may be rotating in for certain
contract hours and then rotating out.
So that's been helpful.
And it benefits our hospital.
It benefits our community.
(27:14):
And so that's very helpful.
And one of the nurses that has come in
that way is now actually going to moveto Fort St. James in May.
And she will be renting one of the apartments.
Not the ones that are attachedto the primary care but
taking ona rental of an apartment to herself.
(27:36):
So I'm excited to see hercome and live in Fort St. James.
That's actually a really unique featurethat I wasn't aware of.
The ability.
Yeah. Very unique. It is a unique feature.
And I think as well, maybe what we haven'tcovered yet is who is this for?
It is for seniors 55 plus, but it's alsofor individuals with disabilities.
(27:58):
So I think Kris can speak more to this.
We do have some units that are accessible,and then we also have
some units that can be converted to be accessible.
So maybe I'll let Kris talk a little bitabout that.
Yeah.
Our ground floorif you will, which faces our parking lot.
So it faces west.
Three of those units were designed for
(28:18):
those that are dependent on a wheelchair
or some other type ofmobility assistance.
And the other three unitson that floor are adaptable.
So they could be converted if needed to
be wheelchair accessible as well.
And I did misspeak a bit, Paula,when you were talking
(28:39):
about the family piece, becausewe're situated next to the hospital
where there a need for a family to
be close to a relativethat might be in the hospital.
That was also partof the planning in this facility,
so that one of those ground floorunits could be used for short
(29:00):
term stay, for a family,for temporary stay.
While the relative
or possibly the person that is havingto go back and forth to the hospital
could stay in a unit for a temporaryamount of time while their
health needs are being addressed.
So that's another unique piece.
And keeping that type
(29:22):
of uniqueness to that ground floor,
where they can come and gowith much more ease than if they were on
the upper floors where they're havingto go through the elevator system.
And this way it's much more accessible.
Yeah.
And we have so many surroundingcommunities that need a place to stay
(29:45):
within Fort St. James.
So it really allows for them to
visit or to stay close to their family members
that might be in the hospital, becausethis is built right beside the hospital.
Yeah.
That's beautiful.
And I think this project is just so uniquebecause it's fulfilled all these
different gaps that you guys have assessedand witnessed in community.
(30:10):
And this one projectreally does address almost everything.
You know, and yeah, it's beautiful.
Is there anything elsethat you wanted to add about the project?
I have had a resident recently say, Kris,
I think we need gardenbeds for vegetables and things like that.
So, I have made a couple applicationsfor grants,
(30:32):
and we'll see what happens, becauseI would love to be able to accommodate,
even if it's just a small greenhouse,because, again, that lends to activity.
It's socializing,
growing your own vegetables,
which also could relateto another type of potluck
for a barbecue and fresh salad.
(30:54):
So yeah,trying to create more opportunities where
possible for the tenants to build their
tenant community further.
And we certainly do havea diverse number of people that live there
that have different ethnic backgrounds.
We have families members
(31:16):
that have moved across the countryto Fort St. James
because their grandchildrenor children live here in Fort St. James.
And so they've relocated from Ontario
or Vancouver or Prince George or Edmonton.
So that's kind of interestingtoo, to see the diversity.
And we have Indigenous eldersthat are there from
(31:39):
more than one of the local bandcommunities in the Fort St. James area.
So that's kind of nice.
Nak'azdli Whut'en,
Binche,
Tl'azt'en,
Tache Lake and K'uzche,
are the
Indigenous communitiesthat are adjacent to Fort St. James itself.
(32:02):
Nak'azdli is literally the middleof a street.
In terms of
the geographic boundary,if you will, that you would see in maps
between the communities.
So you just cross the streetand you're in one community or the other,
which is kind of neat.
And as we've talked aboutNak'azdli was a very big piece,
stakeholder in the communityin terms of
(32:25):
the buildingand the naming and respecting
that we're on unceded traditionalterritory of Nak'azdli as well.
Yeah.
Going from the landblessing like Kris said,
in consultingwith Nak'azdli and then the name,
trying to come up the name with a carriername,
that's very meaningful.
And then as we had an open houseto invite everyone to come together
(32:49):
and get to know one another and justcelebrate the grand opening of Neghuni,
we even invited local knowledgekeepers and
prayers or drummingany of those types of things.
It's incorporating the First Nationsculture within
it has been a big part of this project.
And as you mentioned too, the signagebeing in the three language pieces.
(33:12):
And that's all the signage for the building.
So there's nothingthat isn't recognized
culturally with all three languages.
And I think just to add in therethat Connexus
does whatever we canwhenever we see there's a community need.
I'm thankfulthat you noticed that there...
(33:36):
with this one project,there's so many gaps that it helped
come together.
There's even programingthat we have
within Neghuni that seniors and elders
can access to help live independently.
Yeah, we certainly have seen evidenceof that already.
(33:56):
One of the residents was quite excited
that we have the new positionthat allows that
she could seek some resources thatshe needed and was successful in that.
And finding out about assistanceis there provincially
and right,but can access it as locally as possible.
So I think that's a big piece as well.
(34:18):
And that seniorsconnector person is in Fort St. James once a week
and they're either at Neghuni orthey're at our seniors recreation center.
So they're connectingwith a variety of people, and it's nice
for seniorsto know that we have those pieces
(34:39):
present in the community.
The seniors and elders in Fort St. Jamesare really lucky to have this project.
And they deserve it.
And thank you to the both of youfor putting your time
and your attention to this journeyof building this amazing project.
Keep in touch with us and let us knowwhat's in the future for your community.
(35:01):
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
To learn more about BC Housing,
including how to apply for subsidizedhousing in British Columbia, visit
www.bchousing.org.
You can also find uson Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
(35:22):
If you enjoyed this episode,give us a rating.
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