From left to right: Joanne Starblanket, Councillor Renita Starr-Whitecap, Councillor Edgar Starr, Councillor Cathy Stonechild, Chief Michael Starr.
Today marks a new beginning for homes on Star Blanket Cree Nation.
Located west of Melville on Treaty Four land, a new project called “A Blanket of Warmth for Our Nations Homes” hopes to usher in proper heating for houses in the area.
It starts Wednesday morning with a community build that will be hosted at the home of resident Fred Jr. Starblanket in White Calf. Students and elders from the community will be a part of the activity which runs until later this afternoon.
The reason why the project was created in the first place is due to the deteriorating conditions present for some homes on Star Blanket, which has translated to even more problems. Back in 2014, houses in the communities of Five Hills and White Calf were hit with flooding that devastated their homes.
Issues from high levels of water fives years ago have affected people in the area even to this day.
Chief Michael Starr painted a picture of the current living situations for his people.
“Some of the dampness that occurs in our homes has formulated mold buildup,” said Starr. “Trying to get rid of it is our ultimate goal. We believe that this project can do it.”
The project Chief Starr is referring to is what’s called an in-wall heating system which is a part of the United Nations sustainable development goal detailed under “responsible consumption and production”. The group says this will help warm basements up from 17 degrees Celsius to 21 degrees Celsius, and since it’s an energy efficient project, will reduce amounts on electrical energy bills, too.
Another reason why this project is important for people on Star Blanket is because it provides a safer alternative for them to heat their homes.
In a release from Star Blanket, they detailed how some residents attempt to prevent the development of mold in their homes by using electric heaters to warm up basements. Numbers from the National Fire Protection Association show that space heaters are involved in 79 per cent of deadly home heating fires.
“This is about the safety of our people. We want to do our best as leadership to make sure they are comfortable and they have a meaningful living space,” indicated Starr. “It could lead to the house catching on fire or even death. [The project] will help alleviate some of the stresses not only from our nation, but from our leadership groups.”
Fred Jr. Starblanket’s home will be only the second residence to receive the updated heating system. But as Starr explained it, they hope this plan will spotlight the inefficiencies of their existing homes and will create a sense of comfort for their people moving forward.
