Housing is always a hot topic in the Olsen family.
My mom is Dr. Sylvia Olsen. She is a historian and her studies focus on the provision of housing on Indian Reserves in Canada since the early 20th century. In addition, she works in First Nations communities across the country.
It was a brisk mid-November Saturday morning in 2011. We had just wrapped up a few days in Williams Lake, and we were strapped into a Central Mountain Air Beech 1900. It was election day, and my name was on the ballot in the District of Central Saanich. We whiteknuckled it through the “bumps” and “unsettled air” to get back to Saanich in time to run a few family members to the polls.
Our task was to develop a unified housing policy for the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council. And, it was the first time I travelled with my mom for work. We went into the Canim Lake, Canoe Creek, Soda Creek, and the Williams Lake communities.
While there, I worked with the elected leadership, and my mom worked with the administration. We faced the membership together, at a meeting in each community hall.
Success/failure is in the design
During that trip I had the governance system for municipalities and first nations laid out in front of me. It became obvious, one is set up to encourage innovation, and the other is designed to stifle it.
However, both systems have advantages and blemishes. We entrench our current approach to land use and we are reluctant to review land governance, never mind make any major changes. There are so many stories to tell.
So, Dr. Olsen (my mom) and I have decided to team up and co-present our experiences. Join us as we introduce you to the first nations housing timeline and the possibilities created by decades of failure.
EVENT NOTICE
First Nations Housing: The past, the present and the possibilities
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
6:30pm
Shoal Centre
10030 Resthaven Drive
Sidney, BC
Dear Mr Olson …
I grew up, and lived in the Cariboo for 25+ years. I traveled and visited many of the communities you mentioned — on numerous occasions — and saw the housing that was on reserves. That said, I make no comment on who was, and continues to be responsible — I am sure the is plenty of shoulders to lay that on.
INSTEAD … I am more interested in what you say … and ideas you have for better and safer, hosing for First Nations people, and who should ultimately be responsible to ongoing maintained and continued new builds.
I would love to share this as a post on my BC Politics and More blog-site, however I am wonderimg if you can share any additional information on, “… our experiences … as we introduce you to the first nations housing timeline and the possibilities created by decades of failure.”
The area you speak of, the Cariboo, is many miles away from your presentation site in Sydney, and I feel certain people unable to attend, would be most appreciative of what will be said during the presentation, and options for new and better ways.
Thank you in advance for your consideration … and I look forward to, and hope for, a positive response. 🙂
We will not be speaking directly about the work with the NSTC. That was my introduction to my mom’s “short history of on-reserve housing” story. This has been an incredibly popular event, many RSVP’s so far. I am hoping that we can get it on Radio Sidney (online).
Thank you for responding so quickly Adam … much appreciated. I am not Green in nature … nor am I Liberal, however as I stated to a Liberal friend, no one party has a lock on the best and only ideas that will work. If anytime in the future you feel like sharing a post (please not a blatant advertorial however) on my blog-site, I would be happy to do so — and without any comment or preamble. I believe we all can work together for a better community. Hope you’ll take me up on my offer 🙂
The best solution may include but not limited to the following four:
1) true local community helping one another
2) all involved with “skin in the game” decision making process
3) Not dictatorial leadership (free elections to choose leadership)
4) have a mission statement that brings people talents together to serve and love one another (with no other conflicts)