Eight Challenges Faced by Reserve Residences

 

The Reserve is a thoughtfully curated integrated development with transport hub that features a blend of 1- to 5-bedroom luxury residences, serviced residences, retail and public spaces. Situated in the Beauty World neighbourhood, it is seamlessly connected to transport networks and nature attractions.

While the circumstances vary from community to community, the eight issues identified above are recurring themes in the experience of on-reserve housing. For example, in many communities, there is a shortage of affordable housing; the quality and state of homes is often substandard; residents face difficulty getting mortgages or other credit; the dependency on wood for heating and cooking leads to tragic house fires; there is poor water infrastructure; and health concerns are high.

These problems are rooted in the legacy of colonialism. As a result of the residential school system, displacement from traditional territories and discriminatory legislation such as the Indian Act, Aboriginal peoples were left with enduring hardships that have hindered their ability to establish stable communities. These difficulties have impacted the social, cultural and economic fabric of First Nations.

This is the background against which some advocates are arguing that reserves should be converted to fee simple, or privately-owned, lands and that the only way for First Nations communities to overcome the challenges they face is to assimilate into non-Aboriginal Canadian society and adopt a Western lifestyle based on private property ownership. While many leaders and activists disagree with this view, the argument is important to consider because it illustrates the assumptions that underlie many of the debates about on-reserve housing.reserve residences