When you live without direct power and running water, everyday tasks take far longer than they need to, says Darlene Richards. Washing her hair, for example, is a lengthy process that involves first heating up water in a kettle that is plugged into an outlet at her trailer, which in turn is plugged into an outlet at her mother's cabin. 'You're steady busy,' said Richards, who lives in a trailer with a built-on addition in Conklin, Alta., a primarily Metis hamlet of about 150 people, located 155 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray. 'It's a struggle.'
According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous people are almost twice as likely to live in crowded housing as non-Indigenous people and more than three times as likely to live in dwellings in need of major repairs. Many Indigenous communities face similar challenges.
The oil and gas company Cenovus Energy has put up $50 million to build homes in six First Nations and Metis communities closest to its Christina Lake and Foster Creek oilsands operations. The project, first announced in 2020, aims to build 200 homes by the end of 2025.
Experts say the initiative could be seen as the latest example of a broader shift in corporate culture, in which resource companies are increasingly acknowledging the need for reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
#indigenous-communities #housing-challenges #corporate-responsibility #resource-development #cenovus-energy
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