'I'm just happy': Sandy Bay mom thanks Ontario company for new home

Melinda McIvor thanked an Ontario company in person on Tuesday for her new home.

The mother of seven one of the eight children living in the home is her grandchild met withTotal Construction Management executive DarrylWilliamsto discuss the new residence the company is building forher in Sandy Bay First Nation, about 130 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

"I'd like to say thanks," saidMcIvor.

"My kids are happy now that we're getting a new house, and my daughter, she's 21 and pregnant so we're going to have baby in December."

• Rat-infested home underscores housing issues on First Nations, chief says

McIvor's current four-bedroom trailer has a long list of serious problems. Raw sewage leaks underneath the home and fills it with a foul odour. The trailer is infested with rats,riddled with holes in the walls and floorboards and is cold in winter.

McIvor said the deplorable conditionsin the trailer homeis the reasonher children, age one to 21, get sick on a regular basis.

After hearing her story Williams told CBC his company would build the McIvors a new home.

Video of Melinda McIvor's home was posted on social media last month and sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Melinda's cousin, Clint McIvor,said he shot the video to raise awareness about the poor living conditions on many Manitoba First Nations.

Sandy Bay mom thanks Ontario company for new home

8 years ago

Duration 2:04

The mother of seven one of the eight children living in the home is her grandchild met with Total Construction Management executive Darryl Williams to discuss the new residence the company is building for her in Sandy Bay First Nation, about 130 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

McIvor said he was glad to see the result of his effort, but that it's just a start.

"I'm glad this awareness is getting out there," he said. "I feel happy for them that they can finally have a nice home, they will be safe from the rats, andthe sewage odour, " McIvor said after hearing his cousin met with Williams Tuesday morning.

"But there's many more houses in Sandy Bay that need help, this is just a little piece of the puzzle. We need more help."

While the plan was to build a four-bedroomhome, Williams said he will customize it for McIvorso she can have a six-bedroom home, ready by the end of the year.

"I'm just happy right now 'cause I'm getting a new house," McIvorsaid on Tuesday.

She and her family will live in their derelict trailer until the new house is built, she said.

• Sandy Bay First Nation housing needs won't be fixed with 1 donated home

IndigenousandNorthern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said last week McIvor's trailer exemplifies the housing crisis that affects many First Nations communities across Canada.

In Sandy Bay alone,ChiefLance Roulette said there are about 15 other trailers in the community that have similarly bad living conditions.

Industry challenged to 'step up'

Williams, a senior partner with Total Construction Management in Campbellford, Ontario, met with McIvor Tuesday to talk about the plan for the new home.

"I wanted her to feel comfortable that it's going to solve the kinds of problems that she was experiencing as you saw in the video."

He saidthe new home will be built to last and offer more protection from the elements like flooding.

"It will be water impenetrable."

• Man posts video of rat-infested home on Sandy Bay First Nation to get PM Trudeau's attention

He plans to be back on Thursday to do an assessment of the site.The home will be assembled on some space behind her current home.

Williams said he wants to see other construction companies step up and help First Nations plagued with poor living conditions.

"In my opinion, we need industry involvement, construction company involvement, average Canadian involvement," he said.

"I'm not a politician but let's not make it a partisan issue. Instead of complaining why don'twe all work together on finding solutions?" he said. "This is too big a problem even for INAC."

"I would like to think I embarrassed construction companies in Canada to say, 'We're big enough. Maybe we should have been the ones to step up.' Well, it's never too late."