North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre - Suswin Village

SHS was engaged as development consultants for the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (NBIFC) to assist in the creation of a 30-unit transitional housing project for Indigenous individuals in the North Bay area.

Highlights

This project included a geothermal system, which makes it extremely energy efficient. Development began in April 2019 and continued through the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in several unexpected challenges for the team to navigate.

Activities

As the development consultant on this project, SHS provided NBIFC with comprehensive development consulting and project management services to move the project from vision to reality. This included tasks throughout the project’s lifecycle, such as:

• Determining a vision for the project on lands owned by NBIFC
• Selecting a project architect to participate in project design
• Achieving municipal planning approvals
• Developing and continually updating the project pro forma
• Preparing numerous funding applications
• Coordinating the tendering process for a general contractor
• Preparing regular advance requests, regular reporting to funders, and other documentation

The project was a tremendous success, and residents are now moving into units at Suswin House.