Photo Credit: Kwadacha Nation
By
NORTHERN B.C.— Kwadacha Nation Chief and Council are sounding the alarm as the remote community of Fort Ware faces a housing crisis.
According to the Nation, Kwadacha has long suffered with poor living conditions that began to fester with the flooding of their traditional territory in the 1960’s to pave way for the W.A.C. Bennett dam. The nation note that this flooding altered their nomadic tradition forcing them into a sedentary life, away from their homelands and ancestral burial grounds. Combined with the colonial impact of the Residential School system the members of the community face intergenerational suffering.
A house located in Kwadacha Nation(Credit: Kwadacha Nation)
Nowadays, the community members suffer from “deplorable” housing conditions, including living with mould, overcrowding, structural issues, and inadequate protection from the elements. The nation says that this crisis is escalating mental health and addiction issues, suicide, crime, and the need for increased child protection interventions; emphasized by the recent homicide that took place in January 2023.
Mold covering the insulation in one unit (Credit: Kwadacha Nation)
In 2019, the National Housing Strategy Act declared adequate housing to be a fundamental human right.
