A Métis governing organization has purchased half an acre of land just south of the Elks Hall on Tetrault St. and across the street from Mills Memorial Hospital for a combined residential, daycare and office structure.
The next step of the Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC), following the $850,000 purchase, is to hire a development consultant to put together a package of residential unit sizes, construction costs and financing options.
“The zoning allows for a maximum of 20 residential units on the property. However, the final number of units may be less once you factor in other zoning regulations, such as parking, landscaping and setbacks etc.,” said Nick Hosseinzadeh, the senior communications director for the MNBC.
He also cautioned that the final number of units, which will be offered at below market rates for Métis people, will ultimately depend upon how much money can be raised for construction from provincial and federal housing programs.
The property is now zoned as R-5 high density residential.
The MNBC has seven regions in B.C., the northwest is called Region 6, and it wants to build a housing and services centre in each region.
There are 300 MNBC-identified citizens in Terrace and 600 in the northwest.
So far, the money for the project has come from a program in which the federal government in 2018 committed $500 million over 10 years for Métis.
Property for similar projects has already been bought in Surrey, Saanich, Campbell River, Fort St. John, and Kamloops.
Susie Hooper, MNBC’s Director for Region 6, and Northwest BC Metis Association president Darcie Petuh said they were pleased that Terrace is to be the home for the planned residential and services project.
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