First Nations Community Successes

See how First Nations communities in remote areas of BC are tackling energy challenges in housing!

The Story of Nak’azdli Construction

Photos: Nak’azdli Construction

Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation brought together local workers to form a construction crew. The goal was to reduce reliance on outside contractors, improve construction quality, and take direct responsibility for on-reserve building projects. Originally an initiative under the Band administration to build new housing and renovate public buildings, Nak'azdli Construction Ltd. is now a company owned by Nak'azdli Development Corporation.

Nak'azdli Construction Ltd. buildings are intended to be long lasting, to reach high energy efficiency and building standards, and to withstand extreme weather and climate change. With a growing team, the company offers full building and renovation services to the Nak'azdli Whut'en community.

Read about it!

Building Homes for the Future in Skeetchestn 

This unique 12-sided post-and-beam home is based on a traditional Secwepemc pit house design. Photo: Skeetchestn Dodeca-Homes

Over the past 20 years, Skeetchestn community members have worked to develop Skeetchestn Dodeca-Homes, a business that sells kit homes based on a traditional Secwepemc pit house design. The homes are energy efficient, robust, durable and quick to assemble. The business is 100% Skeetchestn-owned, and the hope is that these homes will provide much-needed housing on First Nations reserves across Canada.

Read about this venture!

Building for the Future with Skeetchestn Dodeca Homes

Uchucklesaht's Clean Energy Transition

Photo: Uchucklesaht Tribe Government

The Uchucklesaht Tribe Government has worked on several interrelated projects to increase energy efficiency and housing quality in its communities, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The projects include new housing developments in Ehthlateese, planning for a hydropower project to replace diesel electricity generation, and development of a Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP).

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A Closer Look at the Uchucklesaht Clean Energy Transition

NEW! Energy Efficiency Policy Adoption in Three BC First Nations

Here is a look at the experiences in three BC First Nations communities — Musqueam, Laxgalts'ap Village and Tsawwassen — to develop and implement Energy Efficiency Policies. Learn about the approaches each community is taking to create efficiency, lower utility costs and improve health, and safety of people’s homes and other amenities.

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Energy Efficiency Policy Adoption in Three BC First Nations

New! Ask an Energy Specialist

Ask an Energy Specialist is a project that connects energy specialists with First Nations communities in the early stages of planning or implementing energy efficiency housing projects.

Take a look!
Connecting Indigenous Communities with Energy Experts

Nuxalk Nation Brings Home BCIT Zero Energy Building Training

Nuxalk Nation is building a community workforce of carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other trade workers to meet its housing needs — and has wanted to make skills training available close to home.

Working with Richard Hall, a housing consultant and member of Nuxalk Nation, FBC supported this work by organizing BCIT's Zero Energy Building Training at Nuxalk Nation in the fall of 2021. Twelve carpentry students in the community attended the training, through in-person and virtual sessions, and gained a grounding in zero energy building practices.

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BCIT Zero Energy Building Training at Nuxalk Nation

Training Youth in Energy-Efficient Construction at Westbank First Nation

This success story explores the Residential Energy Efficiency Works (REnEW) Program that rolled out at Westbank First Nation in 2020-2021.

The REnEW program aimed to educate and train youth participants in the field of energy-efficient retrofitting and construction. The participants, many of whom had previously faced barriers to employment, worked together on an energy-efficient demonstration building project in the community and also gained construction site experience. The "hands-on" approach created a focused learning environment and exposed them to a range of residential building practices.

For program participants, this was just the start of the journey — as many went on to full-time or part-time employment in construction and two took up FortisBC scholarships to gain more education in the field. This REnEW project reflects a strong a partnership between FortisBC, the Okanagan Training & Development Council (OTDC) and Westbank First Nation, the program host.

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Training Youth in Energy Efficient Construction at Westbank First Nation

Getting Creative with Community Engagement at Musqueam Indian Band

There is a strong commitment to community engagement at xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). For Musqueam's Housing and Energy team, this means thinking creatively about managing housing more effectively. From undertaking renovations and new construction to maintaining homes and implementing housing policies, community engagement is at the heart of everything Musqueam does.

Check out the lessons learned at two innovative Musqueam housing events —  “E = MC2” and “Game of Homes” — hosted by the team in 2021 for community members who wanted to better understand how to reduce home energy and heating costs.

Read this community success story!
Getting Creative with Community Engagement at Musqueam First Nation

More Community Successes

• 2019 West Moberly First Nation: West Moberly First Nation is building a Passive-certified health station, which will be the first of its kind in the province. The Nation wanted to share the experience of a high-performance building with its entire community and to showcase its value and benefits. You can also listen to our webinar about lessons that West Moberly learned from building to a Passive House standard.
  
  
• 2018 Nuutsumuut Lelum | Community Success Story: The Island Urban Indigenous Wellness Society partnered with BC Housing to construct culturally appropriate, affordable, energy efficient housing for the Urban Indigenous community in Nanaimo.
  
  
• 2018 Kanaka Bar Indian Band: Kanaka Bar has a vision of building a self-sufficient and sustainable community, which includes self-sufficiency in employment, food, finances and energy. In addition to solar and small-scale hydroelectric development, the community is putting a lot of effort into rolling out a home energy efficiency project, which focuses on community capacity development, youth engagement, and community-led action. Read a case study on this work and watch our video series: Reno Nation, Kanaka Bar.
  
• 2017 Nuxalk Nation: The Nuxalk Nation has used their local assets and resources to construct culturally appropriate, high-quality housing for their community members. In the process, the Nation has trained a local construction workforce and focused on educating and empowering tenants and homeowners. 
  
  
• 2017 Yale First Nation: When Yale First Nation decided to invest in building new rental housing, they turned to Britco, a modular building company, to construct a sixplex that meets the highly energy efficient Passive House standards. The modular homes were prefabricated in Britco's facility and then transported to Yale First Nation, in a process that took 5 months. You can hear more about this project in this webinar recording.