Alberta invests $1.5 million to help train Indigenous people to build more houses

Stacey Buffalo is moving up in the world. She’s from Samson Cree Nation — now an apprentice carpenter — dreaming of building her own home one day. 

“Give my kids inspiration, for them to reach for their dreams, keep going, doing what they want,” said Buffalo.

Buffalo is a student at Trade Winds To Success in Edmonton. 

On Friday, Alberta announced a $1.5 million for the non-profit.

That money, delivered over three years, is expected to help 156 Indigenous students become tradespeople. 

For a province that spends more than $70 billion in total each year — it’s a relatively small investment — but an impactful and emotional one for this Indigenous MLA.

“Like many of the kids in this program, the odds felt stacked against me to succeed in life. If not for a few amazing people who believed in me, I’m certain I would have ended up in jail or dead,” said Scott Sinclair, Lesser Slave Lake MLA.

Students built the houses that are now destined for Gift Lake — a Métis community in northern Alberta. 

The government says programs like this not only help Indigenous youth find jobs but also help fill a desperate need for construction crews in a fast-growing province. 

So why not invest more and expand Tradewinds across Alberta? The advanced education minister says she’s open to more training centres like this — but didn’t make any promises. 

“The intent is to keep a very close eye on the success stories that are happening here and we already have been partners, we’re announcing an additional partnership today, and I expect we’ll have future partnerships as well,” said Rajan Sawhney, Advanced Education Minister.

Buffalo is not only in this for herself and her family. She also aspires to help train the next generation. 

“I wanted to get accredited and get qualified so I can go back to my nation and help them out and hopefully get some of the houses up to standard,” said Buffalo.

Since 2005, Tradewinds to Success has trained about 3,000 Indigenous people – with roughly 80 per cent of them going on to work in construction.