Sioux Lookout, Ontario – The Northern Housing Summit (NHS) began Monday and ran until this afternoon. This summit addressed the housing resource shortage in Northern Ontario that may create a barrier to the future growth of the region which is taking place in the event’s case study community, Sioux Lookout. Over 100 delegates from government, nonprofits, and the private sector have attended the inaugural conference in Sioux Lookout. Delegates from China and Finland have also been in attendance in hopes that they can help provide valuable solutions to Northern Ontario.
“We are honoured that everyone has come out for this event,” says Doug Lawrance, Mayor of Sioux Lookout. “Which will not only help our community, but we hope that it will help their communities as well. By studying us and learning from us they will be able to take what they’ve learned here and bring it back to their home communities.”
The NHS covered four main issues that are intrinsic to the housing concerns in northern Ontario in a series of discussion panels. Affordable Housing, the Workforce, the Environment, and Attainable Housing are the pillars represented in guided sessions to open conversation about the lack of suitable housing impeding any potential growth in northern Ontario. Participants in the summit will have come together to brainstorm and develop solutions for housing needs in northern Ontario, using Sioux Lookout as a case study.
The goal of the Northern Housing Summit was not only to find solutions to immediate issues but also to build relationships. Because of the summit, the Municipality of Sioux Lookout is pleased to announce in partnership with Lac Seul First Nation and the Natural Resources Institute of Finland a sustainable housing demonstration project to be unveiled by 2020. The municipality of Sioux Lookout was also pleased to announce partnerships with the Municipal Economic Development Department and Société Économique de l’Onario to place an Employability and Entrepreneurship Counsellor in Sioux Lookout.
