State of housing in First Nations laid bare

Safety report filed in lawsuit describes shocking conditions in two communities

- RYAN MCMAHON AND MAX BINKS-COLLIER

An asessment of housing in St. Theresa Point First Nation in northern Manitoba, above, and Sandy Lake First Nation in northern Ontario found rotting foundations, insufficient insulation and leaking and buckling roofs.

For years, the people of St. Theresa Point First Nation have complained about their decrepit and overcrowded housing, but felt ignored by the federal government.

Now, they hope outside experts will help them be heard.

As part of their ongoing lawsuit against the federal government, the First Nation in northern Manitoba and another in northern Ontario, Sandy Lake First Nation, recently brought in construction and safety consultants. The firm’s veteran assessors were taken aback by what they saw.

None of the roughly two dozen assessed houses met building code. A quarter should be torn down, the report found. Mould flourishes throughout the homes.

The firm saw cockroaches in a house undergoing chemical treatment: “Thousands were visible,” the report said.

After visiting another house, the firm recommended it be razed: “This house is occupied … Homeowner fell through floor day prior.”

The report shines a new light on the state of housing in First Nations across Canada, an infrastructure shortfall that the auditor general has repeatedly criticized and that the federal government says it needs to work on alleviating.

It is among scores of documents found in the court record of the $10-billion lawsuit against the federal government. The suit, originally filed in 2023, alleges Canada has “deliberately underfunded” housing on reserves to “weaken” and “force the assimilation” of First Nations.