Giving kids a safe haven: Volunteers renovate First Nation's gym in act of reconciliation
Volunteers from Coast Capital Savings spent 4 days renovating a Cowichan Tribes community building
The Si'em Lelum gym belonging to Cowichan Tribes is described as the heart of the community, and this week it got some overdue TLC.
More than 100 employees from Coast Capital Savings volunteered to help renovate the community building on Vancouver Island in an act of reconciliation.
Rachel Dick, part of the community leadership team for the B.C. credit union, said giving back to the community is both a personal passion and the cornerstone of their employee volunteer program.
"It's really meaningful to be able to have your work-life support your personal passions and your commitments to giving back to your local communities," she said.
Employees travelled from as far as Surrey and Maple Ridge to lend a hand.
"It's so nice to see your teammates come together and really accomplish something as a team and really put that effort behind supporting our community. Doing something that's going to make a tangible impact for the youth that use this space."
The work on the gym included tearing down a sound barrier, building new shelving for the daycare and repairing holes in the wall. Coast Capital and the Cowichan Tribes both pitched in labour, while the the credit union brought in materials with the help of local business partners including Cloverdale Point, Valley Floors and Home Hardware.
Richelle Williams, an elite athlete and the gymnasium supervisor for Cowichan Tribes, said she grew up going to the gym for ceremonies and competitions. There's a lot of history in the building, she said.
"It is the heart of our of our tribe. It's a a gathering place where our families come to heal and to honour loved ones and to compete," she said.
Williams added that the kids in the community are very excited about the renovations.
"[The volunteers are] giving them a safe place and a safe haven to be themselves. And showing them what a little bit of love can do," she said. "That's pretty incredible."
This project hits close to home for Anna Barron, who works at Coast Capital Savings and lives in the Cowichan Tribes community. Barron's son plays soccer at the gym and he also helped with the renovations.
"My son actually tried to skip out of school today. He wanted to be here to see the end results," Barron said.
"He was here over the first three days. He was sanding walls, painting, you know, painting the trim around the gym, cutting in on the roof and scaffolding."
Barron helped get the project off the ground by teaming up with the Cowichan Tribes councillor Stuart Pagaduan.
Pagaduan described the work the volunteers have done on the gym as a sign of "respect".
"Reconciliation comes in all types of forms but we cannot go wrong if we start with our youth," Pagaduan said.
"What we've been doing collectively is trying to make our communities stronger and give our youth a leg up. And we can do it through sports."
The community is celebrating the renovations on National Indigenous Peoples Day Friday with an event that includes dancers and food. The gym opens at 9 a.m.