A celebration took place at The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Hall on Wednesday in Smithers to celebrate Ken’ulh k’it yikh, a 37 unit housing project that is currently under construction which is slated to be complete and ready for residents by February 2026.
What’s unique about Ken’ulh k’it yikh is that this is the first-ever Indigenous-led housing project that is being built in Smithers (a town of 5,000 people whose homeless population is about 83 per cent Indigenous).
The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre took the lead back in 2018 to begin talks about the need for Indigenous housing. BC Housing is contributing approximately $13.6 million from the Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund. The Town of Smithers provided a site (land equity value of $112,000) and contributed $33,000. A $100,000 donation from West Fraser will contribute to the installation of a large Indigenous art piece on the building’s the exterior and help fund an Indigenous-inspired playground.
Yesterday, the mood of the hall was celebratory – there was pride, humour, and some happy tears. CICK News was there to capture the moment.
