Prince George Citizen April 3, 2019 by Prince George Citizen

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Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | Your community newspaper since 1916

Research project focused on Indigenous elder mental health Citizen staff In partnership with Carrier Sekani Family Services, two UNBC professors have secured $1.5 million to pursue a five-year research project focused on strengthening mental wellness and suicide prevention among elders in B.C.’s Northern Interior. The project will build on the work Dr. Henry Harder and Dr. Travis Holyk have carried out over the past decade when they looked at mental health wellness in Indigenous youth and young adults. Holyk said they will be taking a “strengths-based approach that acknowledges and supports the importance of revitalizing Carrier and Sekani culture.” Indigenous research methodology will be used as the framework for all phases of the project. “What sets Indigenous methodology apart is that it starts and ends with community,” said Harder. “It means working with community members who help us to identify the project priorities and also point to the best ways to uncover the information needed to find solutions and best outcomes. “Basically, it puts the community ahead of the researcher, and we only pursue activities that directly benefit the community.” The project will implement and evaluate intervention across member nations of Carrier Sekani Family Services. It will also seek to share the suite of materials created through the study with other First Nations communities. Holyk is the CSFS’s executive director of research in primary care and strategic services and an adjunct professor at UNBC. Harder is a psychology and health sciences professor, and the Dr. Donald B. Rix B.C. Leadership Chair for Aboriginal Environmental Health. The funding, announced Tuesday, is

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Carrier Sekani Family Services’ Dr. Travis Holyk, left, and UNBC’s Dr. Henry Harder have received a $1.5 million grant to pursue a five-year research project focused on strengthening mental wellness and suicide prevention for elders in B.C.’s Northern Interior. provided through the Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health, part of the Canadian

Institutes of Health Research. Project partners and in-kind contributors also include

Northern Health and numerous Indigenous stakeholders across the North.

Overwintering fires, hot spots may reappear this spring Citizen staff

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

The first tenants are moving into Olive’s Branch, an affordable housing complex which previously operated as the Economy Inn.

Tenants moving into affordable housing complex Citizen staff A long-awaited conversion of an old downtown-area motel into affordable housing is nearing completion. As workers carry out the finishing touches, the first of the tenants have begun moving into what was once the Economy Inn but is now known as Olive’s Branch on Third Avenue at Edmonton Street City council approved rezoning for the purpose in November 2017. The Association Advocating for Women and Children is managing the site, which will give people with mental health and addictions challenges the support they need within their own homes at rental rates they can afford. The provincial government put $4 million towards purchasing and renovating the building. “Having a supportive environment with safe, secure housing can help people stabilize and

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LOCAL HOROSCOPE NEWS OPINION HEALTH MONEY

begin rebuilding their lives,” Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson said in a news release issued Tuesday. “These new homes are going to provide crucial support to people living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, and those dealing with mental-health and addictions challenges.” The building features 28 suites with private washrooms and small kitchenettes, as well as communal dining and laundry areas and will be staffed around the clock, seven days a week. Residents pay a monthly rent of $450, which is the $375 social assistance shelter allowance provided by the provincial government to people experiencing homelessness, plus $75 for cable, internet, laundry and one meal per day. When residents are ready to move into independent housing, staff will help them view apartments and work with landlords to support stable tenancies.

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“These 28 new homes represent safety and security for too many who have never known it,” AWAC executive director Connie Abe said in the release. “Helping house our community’s most marginalized citizens will go a long way in helping them rebuild their lives.” Renovations included upgrades to the water service, sprinkler system and fire alarm system installation, improved lighting, roofing and a common kitchen for residents. According to the 2018 Homeless Count, 129 individuals in Prince George were homeless. Of these, 79 per cent are Indigenous. Under its new Building B.C. programs, the provincial government has committed to create an additional 105 affordable housing units in Prince George, including 50 units for Indigenous peoples and 55 units of transition housing for women. Currently, B.C. Housing supports 156 other housing units throughout Prince George.

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As warmer weather returns to parts of the province affected by last summer’s wildfires, the B.C. Wildfire Service is advising British Columbians that some hot spots could reemerge due to what are called “overwintering” fires. An overwintering fire can occur when a wildfire that burned deep underground last year has continued to smoulder all winter long. Given the extent and intensity of many wildfires in the summer of 2018, some of these residual hot spots could flare up with the arrival of warmer and drier weather this spring. Most overwintering fires will occur well within the original fire’s perimeter. Many areas near communities where wildfires burned last year are being actively patrolled by firefighters and scanned using thermal imaging technology. It is standard practice for the B.C. Wildfire Service to monitor previous wildfire sites to ensure that any flare-ups from overwintering fires are located and suppressed if necessary. However, members of the public are encouraged to report any wildfire or smoke they see, even if it is located within the perimeter of a previous fire. To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.

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