Women builders come together to build homes for Habitat for Humanity
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OTTAWA –The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa (Habitat GO) joined forces for a “Women in Wood” Build Day on Tuesday, August 15 to help build homes alongside Ottawa families in need of affordable housing.
 
The second-ever “Women in Wood” Build Day took place at Habitat GO’s largest build-to-date, Leacross Landing. Phase 1, involving four townhomes, will be completed in 2017, with another 12 homes finished over the next two years.
 
The build will have a transformational effect in the lives of four Ottawa families this year, including Annie Aningmuiq, a single mom of a four-year-old boy, who is originally from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Annie will purchase the home with an affordable mortgage when it is completed later this year as part of Habitat GO’s third Indigenous Build.
 
The event was led by Kathy Abusow, SFI’s President and CEO. Volunteers helped with a “wall raising” and building the framework of four townhomes. Later this week, SFI is also leading an Indigneous Build Day and Youth Build Day on the Habitat GO site.
 
The build day included a diverse team of Ottawa women and SFI volunteers who work in various sectors, including government, forest industry, environmental, education and social sectors. Despite being from different fields, all of these women share a common passion of making a difference in their communities and a positive impact on the environment.
 
“SFI is passionate about responsibly sourced forest products being put to projects that improve our quality of life. To be able to participate with one of our closest partners, Habitat for Humanity GO, on a project that elevates the role of women in inspiring change while providing affordable housing to several families, including an Indigenous family, is simply a win-win-win,” said Kathy Abusow, SFI’s President and CEO. “If we can play even a small role in addressing a significant societal challenge – that of affordable housing, including Indigenous housing in Canada – then this is a very positive thing!”
 
“SFI has demonstrated tremendous community leadership through this partnership with Habitat GO and their commitment to Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Indigenous Housing Program," says Alexis Ashworth, Habitat GO’s CEO. "We are incredibly grateful for SFI’s financial support, donated products from responsible sources and partner volunteerism, which will change the life of an Indigenous family in Ottawa forever."
 
SFI arranged for over $100,000 of wood products, from forests certified to the SFI Standard, to be donated to the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in February in Ottawa. Some of the wood donations, from SFI Program Participants West Fraser, LP Building Products and JD Irving, were repurposed for Habitat for Humanity builds, including the ones this week, and for ReStores in the Greater Ottawa region.
 
“As Chairman of the SFI Board, I am so pleased to see SFI’s commitment to building communities through these local projects,” said Mark Rodgers, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.
 
“SFI is leading the way in supporting the Indigenous Build through the repurposing of SFI certified products and through their Wood 4 Good program.”
 
Habitat GO’s third urban Indigenous Build represents the ongoing effort to create opportunities for Indigenous families through affordable homeownership as part of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s Indigenous Housing Program. Since 2007, local Habitats across Canada have helped 166 Indigenous families access affordable home ownership, including 38 on First Nations, Métis Settlements and reserves.
 
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is an independent, non-profit organization that works with countless individuals who share a commitment to healthy forests, responsible purchasing and sustainable communities. SFI oversees the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program and the SFI Forest Partners Program, which brings landowners and brand-owners together to provide supply chain assurances, including the use of forest certification standards. 
 
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About the author
Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].