Building A Better Tomorrow For Multiple Indigenous Communities

A ground breaking ceremony was held this morning (May 8) within the Coyote Rock subdivision.

The Knucwentwecw Society and Williams Lake First Nation celebrated the first step in the building of a new 11,000 square foot Child and Family Services facility.

WLFN Chief Willie Sellars said they are beyond excited as it’s another big project for the region to celebrate.

“It’s not only for our community, it’s for multiple Indigenous communities and the way the Knucwentwecw Society has really held up that vision of what future generations and how they can heal should look like is really breathtaking. The way that Thibodeau Architecture and at the end of the day, the Lorne Brothers putting this together and building it for us is something else. It’s pretty cool to think about what the gateway of Williams Lake is going to look like in the next five, ten years, on these Coyote Rock commercial lands.”

Sellars said we (WLFN) have to hold up Canada in this conversation because that $15 million that came through in building this building it came from Indigenous Services Canada.

“It really is a true partnership and collaboration between multiple entities. Multiple Indigenous communities including WLFN, the Knucwentwecw Society, Indigenous Services Canada. You think about what a $15 million build can do to a local economy that’s what we’re also cognoscente of. It’s what we need to see more of in the region, it’s what we need to celebrate more of in the region. This particular one is happening on WLFN commercial lands but it’s about setting the tone and looking at what can be done as long as you work together and properly lobby for these things.”

Sellars said it’s going to take a couple of years to build this Child and Family Services facility and that it has been a 3 year journey in designing, lobbying, and getting the funds and putting this vision together.

“We never take all of the credit for this stuff. It’s the Board at Knucwentwecw Society, it’s also about those previous Board members, the previous leadership. These things take a lot of time to happen. It makes us very proud that this reconciliation journey and discussion isn’t just a discussion. These are things that are actually happening in our communities,” Sellars added.