October 16, 2024 — Pikangikum First Nation, Treaty 5 Territory, Ontario — Indigenous Services Canada 

Everyone deserves to live in comfort with access to healthcare and services close to home and near loved ones. When Elders receive culturally relevant services in a safe, coordinated, and efficient manner based on individual needs, it allows them to live their golden years with dignity and care. 

Today, Pikangikum First Nation celebrates the grand opening of their new Knowledge Keepers Elders’ Complex in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). 

This new building more than doubles the capacity of the previous Elder’s care facility, going from eight rooms to 20 one-bedroom apartments with a full kitchen and living room area. Four of those apartments have an accessible bathroom and bathtub for those who require it. Each apartment includes a sundeck that opens to the outdoor courtyard, and there is a shared common area for visiting and socializing. 

Community leadership is working with a funder to enable the facility to build a traditional food pantry so that Elders can have year-round access to moose, goose, and fish; install a medicine walkway (including local plants and flora) along the perimeter of the housing complex; and develop programming for children, youth, and Elders sharing circle that will include songs, stories, and recreational time together.