Housing and Infrastructure

The Stó:lô Elders Lodge

Ensuring elderly citizens maintain a high standard of living is a challenge facing many B.C. communities. But not at the Stó:lô Elders Lodge. The 15-unit assisted living development designed for Aboriginal Elders is a shining example of what the New Relationship has made possible.

“Elders in the community are very important, but unfortunately, some Elders are abused,” explained lodge manager Elizabeth Point. “We provide a safe place for these Elders and give them the protection they require. It didn’t matter which reserve they came from, we opened this place to all First Nations.”

The Lodge’s success, Point believes, rests on the cultural sensitivity paid to all areas of program design. “Elders who have lived their life on reserve may have a difficult time adjusting to a new home. When they moved from their home to the Elders’ Lodge, staff did what they could to make them feel safe and comfortable, while at the same time giving them the space they need.”

Elders’ food preferences are considered in menus, which incorporate seasonal wild game, salmon and winter fowl. The Lodge also encourages and celebrates spiritual and cultural traditions through activities like drumming and singing. “There are a couple of residents who still like to attend their traditional activities, so we get someone from the team to bring them to these functions. There is a weekly Coqueleetza Elders lunch every Wednesday.”

Of course, familiar faces also go a long way to instilling the lodge with a sense of home for the Elders. “Just the fact the residents get to see Stó:lô Nation staff walk into the building is very uplifting for them.”