A transitional housing project opened Tuesday in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. The project is an extension of the existing emergency shelter for victims of family violence. Val’s Place was officially opened in Wiikwemkoong, aimed at helping clients who need housing longer than three months. “The waiting list is long too for housing here, so sometimes they have to wait for a while cause there’s such a huge need,” said Mary Pheasant, manager of the Nookomisnang Shelter. Val’s Place is a seven-unit, 15-bed transitional housing facility. Clients can stay for up to a year and can access programming tailored to recovery from trauma, as well as culturally grounded services. “Many times because of the shortage of housing or they might have a place but they don’t want to go back for whatever reason,” Pheasant said. “A lot of times, people just need more time than three months to regroup themselves and be able to move on to their next chapter.” The facility is named after former shelter worker Valerie Lavallee, who passed away two years ago before construction began. Lavalee’s family helped unveil a plaque that will hang at the facility. Ogimaa Tim Ominika, chief of Wiikwemkoong, told those at the opening that the event was more than just an opening for a housing project; it was also opening doors to safety, healing and independence. “It’s going to be able to support our community members moving forward that would be able to have an opportunity to be housed for up to a year as they look to rebuild their lives, as they look to get the supports needed and get more culturally grounded as they have permanent housing in our community,” Ominika said. Most of the $4.9 million to build the transitional housing facility came from the federal government. Shelter staff don’t expect clients to start using Val’s Place until at least December, which works out well since construction crews still have some exterior work to do, such as completing the deck and landscaping.
