NENOOKAASIINS [LITTLE HUMMINGBIRD] - HOUSING INDIGENOUS YOUTH
Winnipeg, MB
Photo by Ruth Bonneville | Winnipeg Free Press
Photos by Jessica Lee | Winnipeg Free Press
Rendering by BridgmanCollaborative Architecture
Year: 2022
Location: Winnipeg
Client: Shawenim Abinoojii Inc.
Budget: $3.5 million

Nenookaasiins – "LIttle Hummingbird" – the newly renovated four-storey historic Noble Court building at 126 Alfred Avenue in North Point Douglas, purchased by Shawenim Abinoojii Inc., an Indigenous-led, not-for-profit service organization. It offers 18 apartments for Indigenous youth and young adults transitioning out of child and family services. The initiative addresses an urgent need for affordable housing in the city and support for Indigenous young people. The upper three floors feature residential units; and the lower level features a circular room for cultural activities, and a hub for life skills and employment programs. The window screens on the first floor feature the image of a turtle. In the morning sun, the shadow of the turtle marks the passage of time.
Photo by Mikaela MacKenzie | Winnipeg Free Press
PRIOR TO RENOVATION: The 20,400 sq. ft. apartment building on Alfred Street, known as the Noble Court building, suffered serious fire damage in 2016 and was left derelict for several years.
Media coverage:
"The renovated building and the vision of Shawenim Abinoojii is a win for the adaptive reuse of an abandoned heritage building, a win for the North Point Douglas neighbourhood, a win for the economics and political design of the Rapid Housing Initiative and, most importantly, a win for the Indigenous youth and staff who will live and work on this property," [said Wins Bridgman]. "Many of us felt that our work on this project and similar projects are acts of shared reconciliation . . . . I, for one, feel very grateful to be part of this project." [Excerpt, Building a sense of belonging by Ben Waldman - Winnipeg Free Press]

"The project appears to be a smashing success in its early goings and, according to Brandy Kowal [director of youth transition services for Shawenim Abinoojii], has paid dividends for the young residents, as a large, supportive community has formed among the tenants. "Just thinking about it makes me a little teary ... I distinctly remember walking into this building when it was a hole in the ground, and it looked like a cave," Kowal said. "And now, seeing youth set up their apartments and bringing in their furniture -- and some of them have their babies here, so seeing young families being supported -- it's extremely emotional. It's very humbling because so many people worked together to make this space what it is, and now we get to walk alongside the youth while they're making their transitions into adulthood." [Excerpt, From Ashes to Affordable Housing by Joshua Frey-Sam, Winnipeg  Free Press]