New homes fuel Squarnish self-reliance MALE LAUGHTER and the occasional buzz of machinery ring out as the sun beats down on a shadeless section of Whonoak Street on the Capilano reserve. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter The Squamish aative construc- tion crew is finishing the [ast of its latest batch of houses — handsome. bright. spanking-new three-bedroom homes lining an avenue, Some of the men are taking a breather to tatk to a reporter before resuming their tasks as cabinet- makers, carpenters, painters, roofers and gus-fitters Field operations supervisor Jerry Baker surveys the scene with pride. Though he's not one to boast, it was his idea in 1986 to start training natives in the construction sub- trades. Beginning in the 1970s. the Squamish Nation used its own hous- ing crew to build on the reserve. In the mid ‘80s residents started demanding more choice. Band council decided to allow a variety of competing contractors to vie for projects on Squamish land. More trained workers were obvi- ously required. That's where Baker came in. He's been in the construction industry for 35 years, working on- and off-reserve. In 1986, he began arranging for other band members to take the courses they needed and get the apprenticeships they required to qualify as tradesmen. Eight years later, there are at least 100 Squamish tradespeople and more being trained all the time. Cabinetmaker Wilfred Baker and carpenter Sam Seward have been working together for years, pouring pre-cast floors and walls, The two get four to six months’ work a year from the Squamish Nation. Seward got his carpenter's ticket in 1986. Wilfred, who is Jerry's “kid brother, benefited from Jerry's program, switching from carpentry to cabinet-making in 1989 with a 12-month apprenticeship at Walters Cabinets in North Vancouver. He explained his decision to become a contractor. "I got tired of making money for North Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Neil Lucente CHRIS LONGLEY (left) and Les Nahanee work on a new three-bedroom house being built by the Squamish band construction crew on the Capilano reserve. Longley is Nahanee's apprentice in the heating and gas-fitting trade. the boss.” Wilfred said. “I want to be the boss.” This is Les Nahanee’s first: year of working on the reserve. “Jerry got me into this.” said the 28-year-old, who spent six years learning the heating and gas-fitting profession with North Vancouver's Nova Heating. “.... There really were no natives in the sub-trades.”” Nahanee’s apprentice, Chris Longley, said he “wanted to get something legit” under his belt. “I've always been interested in doing this. Some day It build my own house, right?” The will is clearly there. The problem is finding the work. The native construction crew has built 250 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.-inspected houses since 1986. It currently builds about 1S houses per year for band mem- bers, financed to the tune of $1.1 million by Squamish band council. Jerry said the workers are wait- ing for another 32 allocations. There's no shortage of families waiting for houses -— 500 band members have their names on a list. The Squamish Nation may be the only band in Canada that provides free housing to its members, but the council has only so much money tou finance these projects. As a result, there isn’t enough construction hap- pening on the reserve to keep the men employed. Al Newman and Larry Dougtas have worked as a team for three or four years. Band construction keeps them busy for tree to five months annually. “We do renovations and then go on welfare,” Douglas said frankly. “Ninety per cent of the band is on welfare. so we're on welfare. !00." Douglas operates a company he calls Cuz Construction. He said that on the reserve, everyone is related so they all call cach other “cuz,” short for “cousin.” But the name, he jokes, is * ‘cuz I'm broke. ‘cuz TF need a job, ‘cuz my bills are duc. ‘cuz my kids are hungry and ‘cuz f do a good job.” The same can be said for most of the other tradespeople, which is why Jerry is looking elsewhere for contracts, particularly to reserves with plans to build, like the ones at Gold River and Saanich. He is also negotiating with Caigary-based manufacturer Crawford Homes, which is eyeing the West Coast. The company needs land and labor here so it can make roof trusses. Jerry is hoping to set up a nine- month course to train band members in this area, and would like to sign a five-year contract with Crawford to supply its trusses for the West Coast market, At the same time, he wants a commitment from other B.C. reserves to use trusses made by the Squamish. There's a multiple payoff for bands who use native labor to build housing. Most importantly. the workers make a living and gain experience. Jerry said the effects are evident in their attitude: “it’s given them a Curlers hail decision to save rink NORTH SHORE curlers had one word for their feelings following North Vancouver District Council’s decision to support the retention of curling at Lonsdale Recreation Centre. NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL by Martin Millerchip “Ecstatic.” said Irene Mandzuk, President of the North Vancouver Curling Club (NVCC), when asked to describe how she felt Monday night. “The decision means continued growth for curling on the North Shore.” But the decision will cost the two North CALL US: 983-2208 Vancouver municipalities over $100,000 in sub- sidies for the 1994-95 season. The district failed to reach a decision on the issue last week despite a debate that lasted to 12:45 a.m. North Vancouver City Council had already voted to keep the Lonsdale curling rink in opera- tion. Both councils were debating a proposal from the North Vancouver Recreation Commission that would have dissolved the curling club, had its members absorbed by the North Shore Winter Club and converted the Lonsdale curling rink into a two-thirds size ice rink. In a letter to council. Gary Young, the com- mission's director of recreation, described the commission's April decision as “very difficult.” but Young added: “We have reached a point where an excess of facilities at the North Shore Winter Club and an under-utilized facility at the Lonsdale Recreation Centre cannot be justified in these difficult eco- nomic times, especially given our inability to provide sufficient skating rink surfaces for other members of our community.” In 1992 the recreation commission adopted a set of membership targets for the curling club to mect and acknowledges that by the end of the 1992-93 season the club had met the goal of 400 members. But the 1994 participation did not grow beyond that point to the next target of 500 mem- bers. Ultimately, the commission wants the NVCC to have a membership of 700, which it says would return the facility “to a situation where it was being well utilized during the prime hours and functioning at an acceptable level during the See Growth page & THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Do you think tolls should fund a new First Narrows crossing? lot of pride in what they're doing, a lot of self-confidence. { see it in the way they talk, their whole being.” In addition, natives tend to take a more proprietary approach to hous- es built by their relatives and friends than they took in the past to the tiny, overcrowded houses supplied by the Department of Indian Affairs, or the war-time houses the Squamish got from army barracks. Jerry notes that since the band began building its own housing, vandalism on the reserve has signif- icantly decreased. The smashing of windows and the theft of lumber and materials have stopped. These new houses obviously mean much more to everyone involved than just a solid roof over someone’s head. They have infused Wilfred, for one, with a sense of optimism. The man Jerry calls his “cubcose” is confident that there are plenty of projects to come. Wilfred indicaes Jerry and speaks playfully: “Our big man here tells us there’s a bright future.” index Classified... eee DT B Crossword ....... pene OO B Lifestyles... essere DF @ North Shore Now.........25 MTV Listings... 3D Weather Thursday: increasing cloud High: 23°C Low: 13°C Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238