Anglicans were among those celebrating at the Nov. 15 ground-breaking ceremony for the Odenak Dream LeBreton housing project, which will mix affordable housing and market-rate units in two towers to be built on Lebreton Flats in Ottawa.
The Multi-faith Housing Initiative (MHI) is a partner in this residential housing project and will own 133 of the 608 units. “Our units will house Algonquin and other Indigenous peoples, veterans, recent newcomers, women and children, and adults with cognitive disabilities. If you’re interested in helping, we are currently fundraising to designate 30 of these homes for the Indigenous people,” executive director Suzanne Le told those assembled.
The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa contributed to that effort earlier this year, donating $75,000 to MHI for Indigenous housing. At the time, Bishop Shane Parker said that the gift was “specifically to assist in the construction of 30 units for Indigenous households, as a sign of our church’s ongoing commitment to both reconciliation and affordable housing.” He expressed hope that the gift would encourage others to donate. The funds for the donation came from the sale of the Christ Church Maniwaki building.
The bishop was travelling in the U.S. and was unable to attend the ground-breaking ceremony, but Executive Archdeacon Linda Hill and the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer, diocesan interfaith officer represented the Diocese.
Wendy Jocko, former chief of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn, was the first speaker at the event: “As we turn the soil today, we are not just beginning construction, we are planting the seeds of a new legacy, a legacy that honors the rich history of this land while embracing the promise of tomorrow. This project represents a unique opportunity to create a community that embodies the very best of what Canada can be — inclusive, sustainable and deeply respectful of Indigenous rights and traditions,” she said.
“To our partners in government and private sector, your commitment to this project demonstrates a shared vision for a more inclusive and prosperous future. Your willingness to engage in meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities sets a powerful precedent for how development can and should occur on Indigenous lands,” Jocko added. “To the Dream LeBreton team, your innovative designs and commitment to sustainability align beautifully with Indigenous values and environmental stewardship.”
In her remarks, Le noted that MHI’s vision goes beyond just providing affordable housing and into community building. She thanked the Dream Unlimited Foundation for its 20-year commitment to provide $150,000 in funding annually. “What this means is that everyone living at Odenak will have the chance to belong to a community, enjoying their choice of wellness programs, craft get-togethers, after-school programs, cultural learning events, and activities coordinated with our new neighbours, the Adisoke, the Ottawa Public Library,” she said. “MHI has a solid track record in doing just this in our other spaces. We’ve been able to create close-knit communities in which tenants really look out for each other and feel part of something bigger…. We are thrilled to be part of this story with Dream Unlimited, the federal government, the CMHC [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation], the NCC [National Capital Commission], and the City of Ottawa. It is only through these partnerships that we are here at all.”
Michael Cooper, president and CEO of Dreams Unlimited, the private-sector developer in the project, said he named the company because “we think it’s important that we dream of things to do that make our society better. We can’t exist if we don’t get our financial returns, but everything we do is try to figure out how we make a difference.” Dreams Unlimited will make 20 percent of its units affordable (80 percent of market rate), but partnering with MHI, which will provide its 133 units at 60 percent of market rates, will make 41 percent of the 608 units more affordable.
Jenna Sudds, federal minister of Children, Families and Social Development spoke on behalf of Sean Fraser, minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announcing more than $322 million in federal investments in three projects that will create more than 656 new homes, 608 of which are in the Odenak project.
Yasir Naqvi, MP for Ottawa Centre, recalled meeting a group of community members on the site who were protesting and calling for more affordable housing to be built on land owned by the federal government. “Here we are, three years later, with shovels in the ground, a big hole behind us, and that is exactly what is taking place.”
He added that he hoped that this project is “the first of many that we will develop in our community where we are bringing a private developer and not for housing our providers together. We’re building an inclusive community, a community where neighbors will live together regardless of their financial needs.”
After the ceremony, the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer told Perspective, “I found myself remembering neighbourhoods—built in the past with good intentions—segregating the affordable housing away from market housing. The social impact was unsafe neighbourhoods. Mixed housing fits better with a vision for the future of our city that is inclusive and welcoming for people of differing economic circumstances. Mixed housing brings us all together, and I think we all hope that the resulting neighbourhood will be vibrant, safe, inclusive and a place where people want to live.”
Related story:
Diocese donates $75,000 to support Indigenous housing in LeBreton project
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