College of Rehabilitation Sciences dean Dr. Reg Urbanowski and Audrey Henderson of Sagkeeng First Nation outside the Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi supported living complex.
First Nation welcomes UM-supported community housing complex
After several years of planning, a new community-led supported living complex in Sagkeeng First Nation is welcoming its first residents this month.
Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi (Thunderbird Helping Them Walk) is a 10-unit facility located next to Sagkeeng Health Centre. The facility is designed to support adult community members living with disabilities and homelessness.
The project is supported through Kiga mamo anokimin onji minoayawin (“We will work together for health and wellness”), a partnership between the College of Rehabilitation Sciences and over a dozen other Manitoba First Nations communities. Other support has come from the Asper School of Business, Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Sagkeeng Chief and Council, Sagkeeng Health Centre, March of Dimes, Indigenous Service Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Community members Audrey Henderson and Sharon Courchene were the main researchers and developers behind the project. They were hired in 2017 by Sagkeeng Health Centre, for a project called the Southeast Disabilities Initiative, to research the needs for people living with disabilities in four First Nations communities – Brokenhead, Black River, Hollow Water and Sagkeeng.
Prior to the project, Henderson was a program manager with the federal government and Courchene had previously worked in social work and education.
“We did a lot of community engagement with the First Nation community members and what we saw was a lot of homelessness in people living with disabilities, both physical and disabilities that you can’t see,” Henderson said.
The complex celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 22, with the first residents scheduled to move in on June 15.
“We began discussions years ago about this idea of having a place so people who need supportive housing don’t have to move away from their community. I am so honoured that we were able to be part of that process,” said Dr. Reg Urbanowski, dean of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
(L-R) Margaret Hart gets a tour of one of the units at Wiiji Bimoseyang Binesi from Audrey Henderson.
The college continues to support the project through several student initiatives, including the development of a day program for adults with disabilities and fundraising efforts.
Braydn Matheson was one of six occupational therapy students who worked with the project this year, as part of a course on community engagement.
The group visited with community members several times throughout the year, either in person or virtually.
“Our engagement was two-fold. One, the community asked us to do some fundraising to help make the house a home – things like furniture, cutlery, art,” she said.
“The second part was to create a schedule and plan for daily programming to facilitate the well-being of residents. Things like life-skills groups, mental wellness, daily activities for social wellbeing, and cultural activities. This programming will be run by staff and volunteers from Sagkeeng.”
Matheson said the key to the success of their work was the strong relationships that were established early on, and the existing relationship between the community and course leader Margaret Hart, Indigenous scholar (Ininiw) in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.
“I think that’s a really important piece of the puzzle when we’re talking about engaging with Indigenous communities – building that relationship, listening to what the community wants and needs, and following through with actions based in that understanding.”
Hart said that through this project, occupational therapists are walking alongside First Nation communities in a shared journey of advocacy, relationship-building, and the co-creation of culturally safer care.
“Rooted in a deep respect for truth and reconciliation, this partnership honours the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and recognizes the strength and wisdom held within communities,” she said.
“The new space offers more than a facility—it creates a place of connection where students are invited to listen, learn, and respond to the lived realities of Indigenous Peoples. This experience is essential for their growth as future occupational therapists, offering relational practice that supports community-led health and well-being practices.”