¿¿ms ¿ay¿ (Our House) - Cultural Facility

in progress

The project will increase access to cultural activities by constructing an approximately 15,100 sq. ft. Big House cultural centre called ¿¿ms ¿ay¿ (Our House), as well as a smokehouse building, playground, food gardens, pathways and bike trails. This will provide the Tla’amin people a gathering space that celebrates and educates on Tla’amin culture and traditional ways. The cultural centre will include a longhouse, language/recording lab, community kitchen, museum area and multi-purpose rooms. The gardens, bike trails, and the smokehouse will provide areas for elders to interact with youth. This project will connect the Tla’amin people to their land, history, and culture. The cultural centre, outdoor cooking areas, traditional foods facility, smokehouse, food and medicine gardens, bike trails, and associated parking make it possible for the Tla’amin to practice their culture together with their community and with other Nations and peoples while satisfying Tla’amin Nation’s plan for food sovereignty. Currently, there is no gathering space large enough to accommodate the growing needs of this self-governing nation. A place is needed where traditional foods can be grown and harvested and where young people can learn from Elders. The cultural facility will be a modern facility with strong cultural features that can serve multiple purposes. The project works include: - construction of an approx. 15,100 sq. ft. cultural building with longhouse, kitchen, language lab, museum space, washrooms and multipurpose space. - construction of outdoor covered cooking space - construction of smokehouse - development of bike trails, pathways, community food/medicinal gardens; - installation of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical; - completion of site preparation, parking, landscaping; - installation of a generator; and, - related works.