Affordable housing development in Griesbach will cater to Indigenous families and single mothers

Officials tour Cecil Bellrose Manor in Edmonton on Feb. 3, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton)

A ribbon cutting was held on Monday in honour of a new affordable housing complex in Edmonton’s Griesbach neighbourhood.

The project, led by the Otipemisiwak Métis Government: the Government of the Métis Nation Within Alberta (formerly known as the Métis Nation of Alberta), has been named Cecil Bellrose Manor, in honour of the late Cecil Bellrose.

Bellrose is former leader of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government who spent decades working to secure rights and improve housing for Métis families.

- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The manor will offer affordable housing to low-income Indigenous families with a focus on women and children.

Rent for the 127 units in the building will be set at 79 per cent of the maximum allowable rental rates to ensure it’s accessible to families who need it most.

Forty-two of the units will be barrier-free suites, including 10 fully automated units, which will offer more accessibility to residents.

The first floor of the building will have a child-care facility which will have capacity for 48 children at opening, with a goal of reaching capacity for 72 within five years.

The child-care program will feature culturally safe learning for children and include outdoor space for land-based learning. Traditional food will also be offered.

“Housing across Canada is an issue,” said Andrea Sandmaier of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government.

“When we can put four walls around a family and give them a warm place to call home, I think they’re going to thrive, they’re going to be able to have a happy home and be able to have a great life.”

Sandmaier says the Otipemisiwak Métis Government has over 70,000 members across Alberta.