A gift for Attawapiskat

Who knew that the yurt from the Occupy Toronto movement would end up a gift to the community of Attawapiskat and the folks that connected during the movement would join forces to make it happen? It took one Union, one Groovy Yurt guy, Toronto’s Design Museum, a prominent Law Firm and one housing idea: the first yurt of Occupy Toronto was destined to occupy Attawapiskat.

The Occupy movement in Toronto started in October when protesters marched to St. James Park and set up tents to protest the disparity between the have and the have-nots. Winter was just around the corner. OPSEU, along with six other unions, wanted to do something to support the protestors.

It took one conversation with Yves Ballenegger, owner of Groovy Yurts based in Gatineau Quebec to realize supplying the Occupiers with an authentic Mongolian yurt was the ideal solution. Yves imports yurts and furniture from Mongolia into Canada. He works with local families there and it in turn supports economic development in that country. Within fours days of the call, Yves was at St. James Park with three yurts.

In late October when the protesters were evicted from St. James, the Union had three yurts that needed a home. When the story of Attawapiskat broke later that fall, it seemed a natural fit.

The first call was made to Yves for his support to transport and install the yurt. He readily agreed. In a secondary conversation, a designer named Andy Thomson, who was visiting with Yves, insisted on getting involved. Andy had an idea for sub-artic homes that could be manufactured on site.

A vision emerged: a housing manufacturing business that would be owned and operated by the First Nation, creating training and employment opportunities in a community like Attawapiskat.

Tim Gilbert, Chair of Toronto’s Design Museum, and his law firm Gilbert’s Law endorsed the idea when OPSEU invited him on board to help make it happen.

On January 9, 2012, Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence graciously accepted the yurt. She envisioned a social, creative gathering place for her community, a place filled with sewing machines and accessories, art supplies and games for everyone. She also liked the vision of the sub-artic home solution.

We knew little about the community, the people or the extreme conditions which we would be working in.

Our group grew to 14 volunteers. Four people and two vehicles would deliver the yurt. The rest of the group flew up. Everyone was prepared to do whatever it took to get the yurt set up.

The journey to Attawapiskat took over four days.

On February 8 at 4 a.m. the 18 wheel tractor trailer truck arrived in Attawapiskat via the winter ice road.

The yurt took two days to build and another two days to put up the finishing touches. It received a warm welcome into the community.

Photo from left to right: Jamie Goodman, Tim Gilbert, Paul Banwatt, Laura Stavro, Andy Thomson, Gary Hanrahan, Gord Longhi (OPSEU), Cory Vitiello, Aidan Butler, Katie Weber, Salim Dharssi, Yves Ballenegger, and Laurie Miller (OPSEU).