OLD CROW, YUKON — The governments of Vuntut Gwitchin, Canada and Yukon have announced over $13 million in joint funding for the construction of an elders assisted-living complex in Old Crow, Yukon.
The complex includes eight one-bedroom units for Indigenous elders and a one-bedroom unit for a live-in caregiver, stated an Aug. 6 release. It also includes a kitchen, laundry room, washrooms and a large indoor common area to be used as a Gwich’in language hub and for family gatherings, activities and crafts.
The Government of Canada is spending $9 million on the project through the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, and $1.7 million through targeted funding for First Nations housing. The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is also providing $3 million towards the home.
Old Crow is a fly-in village of approximately 250 people. Until now elders have had to move south to larger cities and away from family supports to access assisted-living options.
“This building is significantly more than bricks and mortar; it is the solution to a heartbreaking problem that has affected the Vuntut Gwitchin people for decades. This Home of the Wise Ones will enable our elders to continue living amongst loved ones and offer the language, the leadership and the teachings we depend on to move forward with our vision for a self-government that is entrenched in the wisdom of the past and carries our culture forward,” commented Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm.
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