“Healthy and safe spaces make community.” The “Imagineering” session brings Write to Read BC Team back to it’s first community Tl’esqox – Toosey Indian Band. Architect Scott Kemp and Write to Read BC Team Leader Bob Blacker, join the Original Campion Sparkplug Shirley-Pat Chamberlain and the community of Tl’esqox to design the future.
“Imagineering” is a process of working with Tl’esqox-t’in to design spaces that are beautiful, healthy, safe and culturally responsive. Our goal is to create designs for future homes in the community, including: one, two and three bedroom(s).
This opportunity for continued partnership, participation, and power sharing came about as part of the Phase II of the Tl’esqox Comprehensive Community Planning process, funded through INAC’s BC Capacity Initiative. Phase II’s priority is housing, focusing on policies, demographic data collection, current housing inspection, and designing culturally responsive homes.
The last point is key as potential houses coming into the Tsilhqot’in Nation as a result of negotiation with the Federal Government under the Tsilhqot’in Case aboriginal rights and title win in the Supreme Court will soon become a reality. Tl’esqox is being proactive so that the community is ready for any an all housing opportunities that present themselves. Tl’esqox and Write to Read BC Team are excited for this opportunity to imagineer the future!”
It started off as a library, and then grew like a giant cedar tree. A big group of Write to Read volunteers drove to the very remote village of Kyquot in early April to make a survey. They came back satisfied they have the skills and experience to create what is being billed as The Big Project. The library designed to improve aboriginal literacy has become a full-fledged Learning Centre, part of a Community Centre, which will be located right next to a new Big House. A $50,000 project has evolved into a $5 million project. It may be the model for many more similar projects to come.
The W2R team toured the village with architect Scott Kemp and it was decided the original site for the planned library was too close to sea level and at threat from any tsunami. An alternative site had been scoped out, so the entire team trudged up the hill past the school to the site of a planned new sub-division. The engineers decided an up close inspection was required and the entire team bushwhacked into virgin forest, where the biomass underneath was 10-feet deep.