Watch the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation announce a one-in-a-generation financial contribution to support the renovation of the former Sands Hotel into affordable supportive housing units for people who experienced chronic houselessness. Read the article.
Carola Cunningham delivering thank-you speech begins at 14:35:00
Speech transcript:
Tansi, Oki, bonjour, hello, okisikow iskwew net-see-ka-son Ochi niya amiskwaciy-wâskahikan Treaty six
I would first like to acknowledge Creator, however that looks for you, for the gifts of life and land, and all our relatives. We are in this life to live it.
Without pîsim - the sun, without nîpîy - the water, without utin - the wind, without askîya - the blanket that covers the earth, we would not have maskihkîy - medicine, we would not be able to sustain ourselves.
The standing people, the four-legged, the winged ones, the crawlers and swimmers, the flora and fauna are the beautiful gifts of life.
We can sometimes lose connection to some of those life givers. But we must remember to care for the things that sustain life so we can ALL live.
When our people stand up for the land, for the water, for clean air, we are so often met with resistance. When we stand up for our people, we are so often standing alone.
Today we are thankful to those at the Government of Canada and the City of Edmonton for standing up for our people and all vulnerable people living in our community.
An important part of building a strong community is ensuring the people in it are cared for. This is what caring for a community looks like.
This contribution will allow us to provide a permanent home and a fresh start for our residents using a housing first approach that is proven to enact change in a humane and cost-effective way.
Our team provides 24-hour wraparound support and care for our residents so they, too, can reconnect to those life givers. So they can live.
We have had great success with programs at our two other developments, Ambrose Place and Omamoo Wango Gamik, where our residents have taken more control of their lives and we have saved the City millions of dollars in the use of emergency services.
Investing in permanent supportive rapid rehousing is a solution that will positively impact the community for generations to come.