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| NEWS - July 27, 2010 |
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Keith Lacey Photo
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| Construction will begin within days on the first Habitat For Humanity project ever built in Barrhead. On hand for the big announcement last week were, from left, Cargill Agricultural Horizons manager Marty O’Brien, Barrhead County Reeve Helmut Ehrenholz, Town of Barrhead Mayor Brian Schulz, Barrhead-Westlock-Morinville MLA Ken Kowalski, Alfred Nikolai, president and CEO of Habitat For Humanity Edmonton and local project leader Steve Lyster. Construction is set to be completed by Dec. 15 if everything goes well. |
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| Habitat For Humanity dream home set to begin construction |
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Keith Lacey
Leader Staff
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With a smile on his face from ear to ear, project leader Steve Lyster said a two-year dream to build affordable housing through Habitat For Humanity here in Barrhead has come true.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to build," said Lyster, to resounding applause before a group of 50 supporters July 21, including local MLA Ken Kowalski, Town of Barrhead mayor Brian Schulz, Barrhead County Reeve Helmut Ehrenholz, Habitat For Humanity Edmonton president and CEO Alfred Nikolai and the entire volunteer team who have worked so hard since the summer of 2008 to build the first Habitat For Humanity housing project in Barrhead.
"We are breaking ground and our building is about to start."
Habitat For Humanity is the internationally-recognized movement started in the southern United States in the 1970s, which aims to provide affordable housing for hundreds of thousands of working people around the world, Lyster said.
There are now 101 countries with affiliation with Habitat For Humanity, Lyster said.
The Barrhead project will see not one, but two, families benefit as the project involves building a duplex on 59th Avenue in the Coronet subdivision.
The idea for Barrhead to get involved with Habitat For Humanity dates back to the summer of 2008, when local retired United Church minister Glen Simmonds suggested this community get involved, said Lyster.
A meeting was held a few weeks later in late July of 2008 with Habitat For Humanity supporters from across the region in attendance, as well as Nikolai and other head office staff from Edmonton, he said.
While Barrhead is a relatively small community to take on a project like this, the support from individuals, businesses and community leaders has been overwhelming from the start, said Lyster.
"Only through the community’s support have we been allowed to realize this dream," he said.
With construction ready to start within days and a small army of volunteers ready and willing to help, the goal to have construction finished two weeks before Christmas is realistic, said Lyster.
"What a great Christmas present" for two fortunate families, he said.
While the project still needs $60,000 of donations in-kind and a few more volunteers, the project is ready to proceed and there’s no reason to believe it won’t be finished on schedule just before Christmas, he said.
"The real dream will come when we hand over the keys," said Lyster smiling.
Local businesses have donated services like sand and gravel to build the foundation, to pour the concrete and Cargill Agricultural Horizons donated $10,000 through its Cargill Care community support initiative, said Lyster.
Nikolai concurred that without the hard work and support across the entire community, this project would not have become a reality.
"With the impetus, vitality and support of neighbours helping neighbours, we’ve been able to see this project come to fruition," he said.
The organizing committee of volunteers has combined to work thousands of hours over the last two years and deserve credit for a job well done, he said.
The town and county council have also been very supportive as has the provincial government, which has shown support and provided funds so other Habitat For Humanity projects could proceed across rural Alberta, said Nikolai.
The reality is lack of affordable housing is a problem across Canada, not just in urban centres, but small rural communities like Barrhead, said Nikolai.
"The difference between a mortgage and paying rent is enormous," he said. "If people are having to spend 60 per cent of their income on housing, there’s not a lot left over ... so many families are in this predicament."
The selection committee to decide who will own the two new homes in Barr-head started the process Monday evening at the Blue Heron Support Services offices.
Nikolai said his experience is the two families selected will have their lives changed forever because of Habitat For Humanity’s long record of success.
"The true benefit isn’t just extra money they will have," he said. "It’s the dignity they will have, it’s the self-esteem they will have, it’s the pride they will have.
"I can’t wait to come back here in December and give these two families the keys to their new home."
Schulz said everything about Habitat For Humanity is positive.
Not only do the chosen families benefit, but the project brings the community together in a spirit of co-operation and goodwill.
"It’s not charity, it’s about lifting them up and by lifting these people up, it blesses all of us," he said.
Ehrenholz said Habitat For Humanity is allowing hundreds of families across Alberta to achieve the dream of home ownership and the biggest winners of all are the children of the families selected to own homes as they get to grow up in brand new homes built by community members who care about their future.
Anyone wishing to donate funds or services in-kind can contact Lyster at 780-674-2185. |
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