Serpent River First Nation breaks ground on urban housing in Elliot Lake

Serpent River First Nation breaks ground on 22 townhouses in neighbouring Elliot Lake, Ont. Angela Gemmill has more.

Partners got the ball rolling on groundbreaking on a new housing development in Elliot Lake on Monday. The space is meant for urban members from the nearby Serpent River First Nation.

Construction crews will begin their work this week on 22 new townhouses owned by the First Nation, but rented by their off-reserve members

“We recognize that there is a large Indigenous population here.” Chief Wilma-Lee Johnston said at a media event at the Dieppe Avenue site in Elliot Lake.

“At least 10 per cent of Elliot Lake is Indigenous and with that we understand that they have a large housing list here as well. So, any way that we can alleviate and help this community grow,” she said.

The First Nation purchased 1.24 hectares of land where the Dieppe Plaza once was. The Chief said it is for off-reserve housing opportunities.

“Over the last three years, we’ve done our own development within the First Nation. We’ve run out of infrastructure,” Johnston said.

“We don’t have the capacity anymore to add on to our waterline system. Here in the municipality [of Elliot Lake] they have all the hookups that we need.”

“It’s been important for our council to further our relations with our neighbours,” mayor Andrew Wannan said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “I think with Serpent River we’ve done that with open hearts and honesty.”

The housing will be similar to a larger development Serpent River First Nation is constructing in Sault Ste Marie. That one broke ground in the spring.

The Serpent River project manager for the Elliot Lake development says it will include a mix of affordable and market rental housing. Each townhouse will have two-bedrooms, two bathrooms and a single bay garage.

“Now that the initial planning process is completed with the engineering department and permitting is underway, groundwork will commence over the next week or so,” said project manager Ryan McLeod. “We’ll see townhouses starting to be constructed by mid-October.”

The first of the finished units will be available for First Nation members to rent by early next year. The entire project is slated for completion by Fall 2026.