Community-led supported living
“The Colliers Project Leaders team did an exceptional job with our supported housing complex project. We are totally happy with the work.” – Audrey Henderson and Sharon Couchene, Coordinators, Supported Housing Complex, Sagkeeng First Nation.
The Sagkeeng First Nation spans three treaty territories, with community members living along the shore of the Winnipeg River, approximately 120 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. To better support those living with disabilities, community members Audrey Henderson and Sharon Couchene led research and planning efforts to develop a 10-unit supported living complex.
Wiijii Bimoseyang Binesi – which translates to Thunderbird Helping the Walk – is an 11,320 sq. ft. supported living complex that includes both residential suites and office space. Designed to offer residents comfortable, fully accessible, independent living spaces, each one-bedroom suite measures approximately 600 sq. ft. and includes a full kitchen. Like an apartment building, suites are accessible via a common entrance and share space for developing life-skills and other programming including mental wellness groups, social wellbeing and cultural activities.
Quick Facts
Sagkeeng’s supported living complex is grounded in Kiga mamo anokimin onji minoayawin, which translates to “We will work together for health and wellness.”
The purpose-built 11,320 sq. ft. building includes 10 one-bedroom suites, cultural, common areas for residents, staff and wellness programming.
Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation delivered this community-led initiative underbudget and with an emphasis on hiring local contractors and sourcing local materials.
Working together for health and wellness
The supported housing complex project is grounded in Kiga mamo anokimin onji minoayawin, which means “We will work together for health and wellness”, and partnerships with the University of Manitoba’s College of Rehabilitation Sciences and more than a dozen other Manitoba First Nations communities. Organizations including the Sagkeeng Chief and Council, Sagkeeng Health Centre, Asper School of Business, Lakehead University, March of Dimes, Indigenous Services Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation also supported the project and helped ensure its success.
To bring the community’s vision to life, Sagkeeng’s Chief and Council engaged our project managers to guide the delivery of the supported living complex. Local involvement was a priority for the community. Our team worked alongside the First Nation to source local contractors and materials through the tender process for a general contractor.
As with many projects, there were scope of work expansions related to the facility’s purpose and location. For example, the project team sourced additional generators to ensure the facility and all its major appliances could maintain power without disruption – including sump pumps to avoid flooding. As an additional safety precaution, the project team made a last-minute decision to install a fence around the property to limit unexpected interactions with wildlife or off-leash pets.
This project was a truly collaborative community effort, from its planning and design through to construction and the grand opening. The Sagkeeng community was clear about its needs, translating research into a strong vision for the supported living centre. Through their efforts and support, we were able to deliver the project under budget.
The Sagkeeng Anicinabe Nation celebrated the complex’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May 2025 and welcomed its first residents in June. The complex strengthens connection within the First Nation, giving residents who require additional assistance a place within their community where they can find support, care and programming designed to help them thrive.
