ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Communities of Native Alliance of Quebec 3

Message from the Chief Executive Officer 4 - 5

Message from the Premier of Quebec 6

Message from Lac-Saint-Jean Member of Parliament 7

Message from the Building Operations Director 8 - 11

Message from the Building Operations Manager 12 - 13

Message from the Lawyer of the Legal Department 14 - 15

Message from the Buiding Maintenance Supervisor 16 - 17

Message from the Social and Community Intervention Supervisor 18

Pourvoirie du lac Husky 19

The Waskahegen Classic 19

Board 20

2

TABLE OF CONTENT

CORPORATION WASKAHEGEN 112, avenue de l’Église, suite 204

Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC G8L 4W4

Phone: 418 276-7551 | Fax: 418 276-8302

E-mail: corpo@waskahegen.com

Website: www.waskahegen.com

Copyright - Bibliothèque nationale du Québec and National Library of Canada, 2017

48

47

4443

42

41

40

39

3837

32

3127

2829

3336

35

2423

25

26

22

20

19

17

14

13

1215

11

108

7

6

5

1

4

45

46

30

21

16

9

2

3

34

18

Mont-Joli

Baie-Comeau

Sept-Îles

Dolbeau-Mistassini

Loretteville-Québec

Val d’Or

Maniwaki

Mansfield

Rouyn-Noranda

Hull

LEGEND

Region 01

Region 02

Region 03

Region 04

Region 05

Native Alliance of Quebec

Head Office

Waskahagen Corporation

Head Office

Branch

COMMUNITIES OF NATIVE ALLIANCE OF QUEBEC

48

47

4443

42

41

40

39

3837

32

3127

2829

3336

35

2423

25

26

22

20

19

17

14

13

1215

11

108

7

6

5

1

4

45

46

30

21

16

9

2

3

34

18

Mont-Joli

Baie-Comeau

Sept-Îles

Dolbeau-Mistassini

Loretteville-Québec

Val d’Or

Maniwaki

Mansfield

Rouyn-Noranda

Hull

LEGEND

Region 01

Region 02

Region 03

Region 04

Region 05

Native Alliance of Quebec

Head Office

Waskahagen Corporation

Head Office

Branch

1 Notre-Dame-du-Nord

2 Rouyn-Noranda

3 Val d’Or

4 Belleterre-Laforce

5 Kipawa-Témiscaming

6 Rapides-des-Joachims

7 Chapeau

8 Waltham

9 Mansfield

10 Fort-Coulonge

11 Île-du-Grand-Calumet

12 Bryson

13 Campbell’s Bay

14 Otter Lake

15 Quyron

16 Maniwaki

17 Grand-Remous

18 Hull

19 Ste-Véronique

20 Oka

21 Montréal

22 St-Jean

23 Yamachiche

24 Trois-Rivières-Métropolitain

25 Sherbrooke

26 Magog

27 Normandin

28 St-Félicien

29 Roberval

30 Dolbeau-Mistassini

31 St-Nazaire

32 Chicoutimi

33 La Tuque

34 Loretteville-Québec

35 Saint-Lazare-

de-Bellechasse

36 La Malbaie

37 Sacré-Coeur

38 Tadoussac

39 Les Escoumins

40 Sault-au-Mouton

41 Forestville

42 Ragueneau

43 Chute-aux-Outardes

44 Pointe-Lebel

45 Maria Bonaventure

46 Sept-Îles

47 Havre St-Pierre

48 St-Augustin

3

For the past few months,

a wave of consciousness

has been washing

across our Corporation.

Events in the forefront of

current developments

have brought about

an awakening of

consciousness and

highlighted realities, which,

even if they have existed

for a long time, have remained in the shadows. We are

going through a period of social upheaval affecting the

whole community from top to bottom and from right

to left.

Following the #metoo movement, there has been a

lot of discussion about the rights of our Aboriginal sisters

these past few months, particularly in the National

Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

and Girls and the work of the Committee on Citizen

Relations with regard to Aboriginal women’s living

conditions.

In addition, the thirst for justice and equality in

our communities has also reached an unexpected but

necessary level in the aftermath of the Colten Boushie

affair. This year, we will remember that through the

mobilization of thousands across the country, our brothers

and sisters have asked people to open their eyes.

It was with all this in mind that we carried out our

actions this year among off-reserve Natives. We feel

moved to action by the current social climate because

we once again hear the echoes of the battles we

have been fighting for the past 46 years. I’m not only

thinking about access to housing, but also the ancestral

Aboriginal rights of Métis and non-status Indians

living off reserve, a subject which is close to our hearts

because we have been fighting relentlessly for decades.

In our organization, we are cultivating citizen

awareness, which puts the well-being of our fellow

citizens at the heart of our mission. Waskahegen is

working hard to provide off-reserve Natives a space

in which they can live and develop. Every day, across

Quebec, thousands of people are living under a roof

built by Corporation Waskahegen. It can never be

repeated often enough: access to quality housing is

a fundamental right and an essential ingredient for

every individual’s well-being. In addition, according to

article 25 of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of

Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to a standard of

living adequate for the health and well-being of himself

and his family, including food, housing and medical care

and necessary social services”.

“As the prime minister has said many times, when it comes to renewing the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples, we have a responsibility to do better and to do more.”

Finance Minister Bill Morneau

in the House of Commons on February 27, 2018.

OPENYOUR EYES

BECOMECONSCIOUS

ACT

Gilles BérubéChief Executive Officer

4

TRIBUTE TO DWIGHT DOREYIn May 2018, the former national chief

of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples,

Dwight Dorey, passed away. On behalf of

Corporation Waskahegen, I would like to

offer my sincerest condolences to Mr. Dorey’s

family and loved ones. Throughout his life,

Dwight Dorey worked to bring about a true

reconciliation between Indigenous peoples

and the Canadian government. He was also

a passionate defender of the rights of off-

reserve Natives and we worked with him on

many occasions. His death is a great loss for

our whole community and we would like to

pay homage to him.

Where public authorities are concerned, a few

advances need to be highlighted. Some government

actions indicate the political will to improve the quality

of life of Natives and respect the rights of First Nations.

The federal government announced in its February 2018

budget that it would allocate $4.7 billion over five years

for the well-being of indigenous families and children

and $613 million for the right to self-determination.

The Quebec government is also working to improve

Indigenous living conditions through different programs

and public inquiry commissions.

Measures in the federal budget specifically target

housing. It says that “Indigenous leaders have told

the Government that when it comes to housing in First

Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities, the best

approach is one that respects the distinct needs of

each Indigenous group. The Government agrees.

To address these issues, the Government is providing

new, distinctions-based support through Budget 2018

for a First Nations-led housing strategy, an Inuit-led

housing plan and the Métis Nation’s housing strategy.”

The government intends to work with Indigenous

communities to support housing on reserves and

support the Métis Housing Strategy in particular. As

we have been demanding for many years now, we

would like budgets associated with these measures to

be administered by indigenous organizations that are

entrenched in the environment. We have the same hope

for programs managed by the Quebec government.

It would be another step forward towards our quest

for autonomy.

On the off-reserve Native housing issue, as on many

important issues that affect all our communities, we call

on different parties to act. The call to action launched by

the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is

a good lead.

As Bill Morneau recognized himself when tabling the

budget, people who govern must do more and must do

better. There is still a lot of work to be done. Assisted by

our allies, we are ready to work to build a better world

for our brothers and sisters.

To conclude, I would like to sincerely thank all our

team members who how kindness and compassion in

looking after the well-being of our community. I would

also like to thank all our partners because it is with their

support that we have in hand the tools to build the

future.

Gilles Bérubé

Chief Executive Officer

Message from the Chief Executive Officer

5

Message from the Premier of Quebec

Philippe CouillardPremier of Quebec

As premier and Roberval MNA, I would like to highlight the commitment

of the entire team at Corporation Waskahegen, which has devoted 46

years to date to improve the quality of life of thousands of Indigenous

families.

This annual report, beyond the results presented, throws light

on the remarkable work of all the women and men who since the

beginnings of the Corporation have made more than 2,000 housing

units available to families in need and provide adapted support so that

these people can develop in an environment conducive to their well-

being and fulfilment.

In this landmark year, the actions of organizations such as

Corporation Waskahegen, combined with those of the Government

of Quebec, will contribute greatly to the improvement of the living

conditions of First Nations and Inuit in a variety of crucial fields such as

youth, health, education, status of women, housing and much more.

Together, we contribute to making Quebec a stronger and more

united society.

Congratulations to the whole Corporation Waskahegen team.

Carry on the good work!

6

Having continually supported Corporation Waskahegen as a Dolbeau-

Mistassini city councillor, and then as its mayor, I am very happy to be

now able to express my support as the federal member of parliament

for Lac-Saint-Jean.

Corporation Waskahegen, in fact, has for many years been a lever

for both economic and social development for off-reserve Natives.

Although Corporation Waskahegen’s action mainly revolves around

the administration of thousands of affordable housing units for people

from Indigenous communities, it also offers related services, such as job

market development programs and measures to promote economic

development.

By providing resources for Indigenous peoples, Corporation

Waskahgen also contributes to the economic and social development

of the entire Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.

Our government too acts in the same way as Corporation

Waskahegen, particularly with the National Housing Strategy, which,

by supporting the development of affordable housing for all

Canadians, will necessarily meet an obvious need and strengthen the

quality of life of our fellow citizens. So, I can only wish for a successful

collaboration between Corporation Waskahegen and the federal

government.

Finally, I ardently hope that Corporation Waskahegen, which just

celebrated its 45th anniversary, will maintain its socioeconomic impact

for the next 45 years!

Once again, congratulations to all those involved in this

organization for their work!

Message from Lac-Saint-Jean Member of Parliament

Richard HébertLac-Saint-Jean Member of Parliament

7

In November 2013, Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat

Métis du Nord was invited to submit a report to the

Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de

l’Occupation du territoire as part of a preparatory

consultation on the National Housing Policy.

In our report, we put forward some data published

by Statistics Canada. This data shows the significant

inequalities between off-reserve Natives and non-

Natives, particularly where the lack of public housing,

overcrowding, low incomes, unemployment, benefit

recipient rate, etc. are concerned. Unfortunately, these

inequalities continue to this day.

The theme this year, “OPEN YOUR EYES - BECOME

CONSCIOUS - ACT” is consistent with the will of the

federal government to take responsibility for doing

better and doing more. Politicians have opened their

eyes and become conscious of the reality of Indigenous

peoples’ lives. This consciousness must materialize into

action to offer off-reserve Natives a better quality of life.

Access to suitable off-reserve housing is basic

and remains an essential need and a recognized right.

Without urban or off-reserve housing, there will be no

post-secondary education or access to healthcare and

this will result in the weakening of future generations.

The Indigenous reality is different. The cultural

baggage, the high birth rate and social and

generational problems make Natives a special group

of clients. Poor and deprived, they are excluded from

private sector housing or fall outside existing public

housing programs. They often exclude themselves

because they do not have the resources to simply take

the steps to find housing.

Given that Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis

du Nord has been working on housing for the past

46 years, it has collected data from its clients and

acquired an expertise which allows it to target the

problems experienced by off-reserve Natives.

Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord

has put a lot of effort into improving housing conditions

and the socioeconomic reality of off-reserve Natives.

These interventions have led to some progress in living

conditions, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Martin VoisineBuilding Operations Director

OPEN YOUR EYES BECOME CONSCIOUS ACT

8

Message from the Building Operations Director

Since 2008, an important financial decision

coming from the provincial and federal governments

set off a process to renovate our buildings which were

in an advanced state of decay. We think we have

come a long way. We must continue to offer adequate

housing in sufficient numbers to the poorest in our

society.

For Indigenous peoples, having access

to housing suited to them, which respects

the reality of their family situation, is one

of the only ways to give them real hope.

It is also one of the only means they have

to reach for something better, define their

identity, take their place and assume their

responsibilities in the citizen equation for

an egalitarian and healthy Quebec.

Investing in public housing enables

our community members to aspire for

better education and better paid and

higher quality jobs. This is conducive to

the reduction of the unemployment rate

and the intergenerational transmission of

a whole culture to the Quebec job market. In addition,

this would necessarily lead to increasing the wealth

of Indigenous peoples and give some of them access

to the private housing market and some others, even

to home ownership.

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO IT!As for last year’s results, we are proud of the work

done by the whole team. Thoroughness and

dedication are the foundations of our organizational

culture and this allows us to maintain high standards

for performance indicators which make it possible for

our partners to see our efficiency.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLEBetween 1997 and 2005, rents receivable at the end

of the respective fiscal years fell substantially from

$425,744 to $89,408. Since 2008, results have been

levelling off. For 2017, we ended the year with a result

comparable to the last ten years with $78,894

(see table further down).

Apart from the regularity of our tenants, the main

reasons for maintaining accounts receivable at such

low levels can be explained by our staff’s conscientious

follow-up. We are now working on prevention with our

clients through our social and community department,

which systematically meets each new tenant upon

arrival. As for our rental operations representatives

(ROR), they quickly and frequently contact in writing

and by phone tenants who do not pay on time.

In addition, 70% of our tenants use our preauthorized

payment service. We strongly recommend this

payment mode to tenants because it minimizes

late payments. Finally, in certain special cases, we

offer tenants the option of entering into a payment

agreement spread out over several months.

450000

400000

350000

300000

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

0

199

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98

199

920

00

200

120

02

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06

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08

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1020

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$

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$

144

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836

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00

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68

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$

250000

200000

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100000

50000

0

200

0

200

1

200

2

200

3

200

4

200

5

200

6

200

7

200

8

200

9

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

181,1

84

$

197,

313

$

203,

670

$

129,

268

$

107,

312

$

121,8

11 $

118

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0 $

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102,

951

$

91,0

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3 $

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135

$

91,0

57 $

106

,26

0 $

78,4

24 $

104

,834

$

88

,459

$

100 %

95 %

90 %

85 %

80 %

75 %

70 %

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

86

%

91 % 9

3 %

85

% 88

%

93

%

89

%

88

%

9

BAD DEBTSBad debts stood at $88,459 for the whole of 2017.

This is the second best result of the past 18 years

(see the table below). Bad debts are closely related

to accounts receivable and this is why we are making

efforts to maintain accounts receivable at the lowest

levels possible, taking into consideration the special

situations encountered by our staff.

In addition, we pay careful attention to bad debts.

Our employees in outlying areas regularly work with

our legal department to track down former tenants or

applicants with an outstanding balance and thereby

recover some payment through agreements or salary

deductions.

INTRANETAfter a few years and several obstacles, we have

managed to make our Intranet available to all our

employees.

We were waiting for this addition because we work

in the context of participative management owing to

our organizational structure which has ten branches

across the province. Our employees contribute to the

management of more than 2,000 housing units in

117 Quebec municipalities. It was important for us to

maximize our communication and standardize the

message with all our team members. This valuable tool

greatly facilitates the work of our employees and lets us

save time.

ANNUAL VISITSIn 2017, we visited 88% of our housing units.

The purpose of these visits is to check the state of our

housing stock and the conditions in which our tenants

live. In this way, we can intervene in specific cases to

make changes and/or offer support adapted to needs.

The housing units which were not visited in 2017 (13%)

will be prioritized in 2018.

10

450000

400000

350000

300000

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

0

199

719

98

199

920

00

200

120

02

200

320

04

200

520

06

200

720

08

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920

1020

1120

1220

1320

1420

1520

1620

17

425

,74

4 $

331,3

17 $

296

,98

5 $

278

,920

$

203,

597

$

144

,08

9 $

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48

0 $

93,

836

$

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8 $

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19 $

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531 $

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365

$

69,

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$

72,4

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1 $

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00

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$

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68

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$

250000

200000

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100000

50000

0

200

0

200

1

200

2

200

3

200

4

200

5

200

6

200

7

200

8

200

9

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

181,1

84

$

197,

313

$

203,

670

$

129,

268

$

107,

312

$

121,8

11 $

118

,94

0 $

125,

225

$

118

,121 $

102,

951

$

91,0

57 $

115,

96

3 $

115,

135

$

91,0

57 $

106

,26

0 $

78,4

24 $

104

,834

$

88

,459

$

100 %

95 %

90 %

85 %

80 %

75 %

70 %

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

86

%

91 % 9

3 %

85

% 88

%

93

%

89

%

88

%

450000

400000

350000

300000

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

0

199

719

98

199

920

00

200

120

02

200

320

04

200

520

06

200

720

08

200

920

1020

1120

1220

1320

1420

1520

1620

17

425

,74

4 $

331,3

17 $

296

,98

5 $

278

,920

$

203,

597

$

144

,08

9 $

117,

48

0 $

93,

836

$

89,

40

8 $

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19 $

129,

531 $

87,

365

$

69,

595

$

72,4

79 $

86

,78

1 $

61,0

00

$

64

,951

$

70,2

33 $

78,2

75 $

68

,189

$

78,8

94

$

250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

0

200

0

200

1

200

2

200

3

200

4

200

5

200

6

200

7

200

8

200

9

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

181,1

84

$

197,

313

$

203,

670

$

129,

268

$

107,

312

$

121,8

11 $

118

,94

0 $

125,

225

$

118

,121 $

102,

951

$

91,0

57 $

115,

96

3 $

115,

135

$

91,0

57 $

106

,26

0 $

78,4

24 $

104

,834

$

88

,459

$

100 %

95 %

90 %

85 %

80 %

75 %

70 %

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

86

%

91 % 9

3 %

85

% 88

%

93

%

89

%

88

%

Message from the Building Operations Director

11

NEW HOUSING UNITSIn 2011, we started a project with the Société

d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ) through the Accès Logis

program to construct two 4-unit buildings in Maniwaki.

After seven years, the project has now been completed

and will receive its first tenants in September 2018.

At the same time, we are continuing to make progress

with our plan to construct two semi-detached units

in Rouyn-Noranda. These fall into the “family” housing

category. Other large scale projects will be considered

soon.

CONCLUSION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are proud of last year’s results. These are due

to excellent team work. I would like to thank our

administrators, executives, employees, all our volunteers

from the Native Alliance of Quebec (NAQ) and our

financial backers and partners, which are the Société

d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ) and the Canada

Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Thanks

to all these important actors, we succeed in offering

a good quality of life to off-reserve Natives.

Despite these positive results, there is still so much

to do. We must continue to mobilize to be in action mode

for the welfare of our clients and this requires

the political will to do more and better.

To conclude, I would like to thank the SHQ’s Serge

Bouchard, who acted as our management consultant

these past few years. I would like to take advantage

of this opportunity to wish a warm welcome to his

replacement, Stéphanie Gagné, with whom we have

already built a good relationship based on cooperation.

GOALS FOR 2018For this year, we would like to move forward

with our project to construct two semi-

detached buildings in Rouyn-Noranda. We

are also planning to make an important

change where the administration of all

our accounting operations is concerned

because we will install the new LOGIK.

NET software with the collaboration of

COGIWEB. In addition, we want to enhance

the Intranet to make it friendlier. Finally,

we will offer all our employees targeted

training to improve the services offered to

our clients.

I am very proud of our work team. Our vision of the

entire Indigenous community enables Corporation

Waskahegen to be proactive and anticipate the needs

of its clients.

The Société d’habitation du Québec gave us its

confidence some years ago by naming us the agents

of housing improvement programs. We are happy to

offer a new program in 2018 called Petits établissements

accessibles (PEA)/Small Accessible Enterprises (SAE).

Its purpose is to improve access to small neighbourhood

shops and businesses to promote the economic

development of the community.

The PEA/SAE program allows small enterprise

owners and tenants (shop, beauty salon, community hall

and others) to obtain a subsidy of up to $15,000 to make

their establishments accessible to people with disabilities

or reduced mobility.

In 2017, we granted 13 subsidies to Rénorégion

applicants for a total of $136,168.80. This program was

created to allow low-income owner-occupants in rural

areas to correct major defects in their homes.

For instance, thanks to the program, the elderly were

able to remain in their homes for a longer time.

Owners with limited incomes who do not have the

means to execute certain urgent repairs on their

homes have seen their concerns allayed.

We also offer the Home Adaptation Program in

collaboration with occupational therapists in the region

to adapt the homes of people with disabilities. Although

it enables us to considerably increase the quality of life

of these people and is very important to us, we received

no applications in 2017. So, I invite you to keep your eyes

open and spread the word around you so that all those

who need it can benefit from it.

HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS

Patricia LebeufBuilding Operations Manager

12

Message from the Building Operations Manager

COMMUNITY PROJECTSEach year, we have a budget that allows us to

complete several community projects. Social

and community workers from each branch

use their imagination to develop projects

that will resonate with their clients. Whether

it is to revitalize green spaces, support the

integration of new residents or break the

isolation of the single or elderly, they invest

all the energy necessary to make their efforts

successful. When it is possible, they invite

their colleagues from work to participate.

This allows them to get to know each other,

understand each other and forge strong

bonds with tenants.

To conclude, I would like to use this

opportunity to thank our employees who

gladly do their part to make people happy.

This year, they made it possible for 12

community projects to come to life.

MAWANDOSEG HALL AND LA TUQUE COMMUNITY CENTREOur tenants can enjoy two distinct gathering

places.

Mawandoseg Hall, located at Pincourt

Street in Quebec City, has been offering its

services to more than 100 households in the

area for more than 12 years. It encourages

volunteer action through its flea market and

many other activities carried out by our new

coordinator, Dorothée Rousselot.

As for the young La Tuque Community

Centre, it has been active for the past three

years on Des Rondiers Street. It dynamizes the

neighbourhood and benefits from the work

of a coordinator named Mélissa Lauzon,

who is as dynamic.

These are congenial places for our

tenants to visit, help each other and share,

which strengthens their sense of belonging.

They are as valuable for the vulnerable

elderly as for supporting parents and

families.

13

What makes an organization such as Corporation

Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord grow, endure and

stand out is notably its capacity to identify its clients’

needs and offer them adequate and high-quality

services. For this, we must constantly listen to the

Indigenous families that we serve, keep our eyes open

to understand what they are experiencing, be aware

of their daily reality and find the best means to provide

solutions that contribute to the enhancement of their

quality of life.

This may seem obvious at first glance. However, one

of the greatest challenges of an organization is to see

reality as it is today and know how to adapt to changes

and grow while pursuing its principal mission.

A YEAR OF CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENTFor a few years now, we have noticed an increase in

the need for legal services. We are in particular facing

an increase in the number of cases at the Régie du

logement that require the expertise of a lawyer, both

during hearings as well as in the preliminary stages.

In the same way, on the ground, we notice that our

employees must increasingly deal with cases which are

beyond their legal scope. They are commonly asked to

take decisions that can have important repercussions

both for the organization and its clients. So, they must

be able to count on the continued support of qualified

legal experts to guide them to the right measures and

support them in the steps they take. Add to this the vast

territory to be covered, the speed with which information

travels, the labour shortage in many regions, the high

cost of consultations with external legal resources and

the constant concern of the legal department to remain

effective and offer excellent service at low cost. So, we

had to take decisions and make some changes.

Josée BérubéLawyer, Legal Department

LEGAL SERVICES

14

Legal services are now centralized in Quebec City.

We are still in the same building, but in two independent

offices. Moving was essential to have the space

necessary for the offices, ensure the confidentiality of

our interventions and respect the ethical standards that

apply to members of the Barreau du Québec and their

employees.

In the context of this restructuring, we have hired

a second lawyer, Maude Boissinot, who joined us in

June. The team is completed by a legal assistant who is

responsible for all the secretarial aspects.

The centralization of legal services has enabled us to

update all our legal files and digitize them. Considering

that we work with people across the province, online

research and quick access to documents was necessary.

With the digitization of files and computerization

of many procedures, we can now have access to

all documents in Quebec City, transfer the relevant

information to outlying areas in a few minutes and send

documents to the Court and Régie du logement using

the Internet.

All these changes required a lot of work, time and

additional effort, but we can already see the soundness

and benefits of this development. The reorganization of

the department allows tasks to be better distributed and

increases efficiency.

WHAT NEXT?In the current social context of the Indigenous people

characterized by awareness and a thirst for equality

and justice, we all have a role to play. Corporation

Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord, due to its proximity

with off-reserve Natives, is a privileged witness to their

reality and constantly feels called on to act.

It is obvious that access to quality housing is a

fundamental need and a starting point to build a better

life. But the needs are great and we must do much more,

offer more, help more. We must ACT!

For my part, the changes made over the past year

in the legal department will allow me to devote a little

time to developing our service offering and exploring

new avenues for even greater participation in building a

better future for off-reserve Natives.

To conclude, I would like to thank all Board

members for their empathy, trust and support and staff

and management for their hard work and cooperation.

Then, a very special thank you to my sons Élie and

Zachari. I draw my strength from your love. Thank you

for letting me believe that in my absence, you only

remember my determination.

Message from the Lawyerof the Legal Department

15

Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord

celebrates 46 years of existence this year. With eyes

wide open to see the needs of its tenants clearly, it takes

into account the daily reality of its clients and acts as a

father would with his children. In fact, the actions of our

employees on the ground show the dedication of our

organization to the indigenous community. Thanks to its

capacity for listening and recognizing important issues,

Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord stands

out proudly from other organizations. By providing more

than 2,000 housing units for off-reserve Natives across

Quebec, it supports the fulfilment of its peers.

Concerned about offering our clients optimal

quality housing, our team tries to maintain our housing

stock in the best condition possible through concrete

actions. Thanks to our preventive and corrective

maintenance, we have carried out approximately

$1,000,000 worth of regular maintenance work, which

represents around 5,000 minor interventions in our

buildings and housing units. The proper management

of our maintenance system enables us to look

critically at our work and continually fix gaps. All this

would be impossible without the dedication of the

employees at our branches and the collaboration of our

subcontractors in the field.

Being aware of the importance of protecting the

state of our housing stock, we continue to work for the

improvement of our preventive maintenance system.

This verification consists of conducting various visual

inspections in our buildings at strategic spots.

The goal is to prevent disasters and preserve the

integrity of our housing stock. This proactive measure

reflects our concern for our tenants and our careful

consideration of the longevity of our buildings.

Once again this year, thanks to the generous

contribution of our two levels of government, we

received nearly $6 million for major works. We have

invested this sum in keeping our buildings intact. With

the security of our tenants in mind, a complete upgrade

of our fire protection systems was carried out in our

buildings which were already equipped with a fire alarm

system. This was an investment of nearly $450,000.

Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord acts

in its environment by stimulating and encouraging

Indigenous entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs who

hire Indigenous workers. In this way, it takes concrete

action for the well-being of the community.

ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Sébastien DesrosiersBuilding Maintenance Supervisor

16

In addition, we relaunched the SHQ’s “Accès-

Logis” program this year. So, the construction of two

4-unit buildings in Maniwaki started in the fall. This new

building can lodge eight additional families. Two of

these eight housing units will be adapted for people with

disabilities. This construction represents an investment

of nearly $1,300,000. Other projects are to be expected

over the next few years.

We are very grateful for our governments’

contributions. We hope that that their collaboration will

be to the same degree for many more years to come.

As there is a great need, it is crucial to maintain our

housing stock in good condition for the well-being of

our clients. Our technical department has our building

management in its sights to ensure that our employees

are well equipped to accomplish their daily tasks. It is

with this awareness that our technical department staff

and branch coordinators, in spite of their workload,

enable us to make use of these significant financial

contributions to prioritize the most important work.

This is a huge challenge. We have to carry out priority

work at the best prices on the market. We are proud of

being able to do it through the efficient management

of our budget.

The key to our success in planning an optimal RAM

budget of this scale lies in the use of the building health

check report. Each building and its units are visited by

our certified inspector from our service centre every five

years. This represents the inspection of around

400 housing units and their buildings per year. The

building health check report contains observations of

various priority levels that reveal the state of the building

and its units and shows their depreciation. Using each

region’s depreciation index, the date the building was

constructed as well as the priority of observations in

the building health check report and by mobilizing

our employees, we manage to create well-structured

budgets.

The building maintenance department employees

are keen on serving our Indigenous community through

the optimal coordination of preventive and corrective

maintenance work. Unfortunately, there are events

outside of our control, such as disasters in our housing

units, which affect our tenants’ lives. Last year, we dealt

with one major disaster, 56 medium and 124 minor

disasters for a total of $361,391 in damages.

To deal with these events which are beyond our

control, we count on the professionalism of our staff to

always find solutions so that we can reach our goals.

These employees who are devoted to their community

are among the exceptional people who constitute

Corporation Waskahegen’s greatest wealth.

Message from theBuiding Maintenance Supervisor

17

TOTAL INVESTMENT 2017

Regions Total real estate

Budget invested

Val-d’Or 111-112 341 048,35 $

Rouyn-Noranda 211-212 562 742,37 $

Mansfield 121-122 1 073 698,38 $

Maniwaki 221-222 550 969,32 $

Québec 131-132 703 108,95 $

Montreal 231-232 268 051,87 $

Dolbeau-Mistassini 141-142 999 409,48 $

Baie-Comeau 151-152 332 188,75 $

Sept-Îles 251-252 618 701,02 $

Mont-Joli 161-162 482 966,52 $

Total 5 932 885,01 $

18

Message from the Social and Community Intervention Supervisor

Over the past few years, several problems affecting Indigenous peoples

were brought to light slowly and these revelations opened the eyes and

raised the consciousness of many. Fortunately, Natives are more than

ever represented by positive leaders with the right values who wish for

change so that our people can continue to advance and grow. Our

people, who have been sidelined for so long, are now speaking up more

and more. It is a discourse filled with hope, which we must listen to both

as individuals and as a society. We can’t ignore it because we all have

a job to do.

Corporation Waskahegen/Habitat Métis du Nord has six social

workers spread out across the province. Our primary mission is to help

off-reserve Natives, but our work goes much beyond that. We want to

close the gap between Natives and the society today so that they can

have better access to resources and services and feel empowered to

use these confidently without fear. We must show openness, highlight

the positive and focus on the goodwill of each side while keeping

in mind the injuries from the past. Let us all raise our awareness

and be optimistic so that we can continue to advance things and

thereby create a better future and establish an easier path for future

generations.

I am happy and proud to be part of the Corporation Waskahegen/

Habitat Métis du Nord team, which works constantly to improve

Indigenous living conditions so that we leave behind the image

of a solid and upright people.

Véronique BérubéSocial and Community Intervention Supervisor

19

Located about 200 km north of Dolbeau-Mistassini, the

Pourvoirie du lac Husky is an absolute treasure. This

vast territory where nature reigns includes hundreds

of square kilometres of wild and luxuriant forest with

countless lakes and abundant fauna. Ideal for a hunting

or fishing trip and perfect for a family vacation, the

magical landscape of the Pourvoirie du lac Husky will

surely enchant you.

With us, you can have peace of mind because

we think of everything! Our services include

accommodation, meals and equipment rentals (boats,

snowmobiles, etc.). Several American and European plan

packages are available. Whatever the type of stay you’re

dreaming of, we’ll be able to find a package that more

than meets your expectations.

ACTIVITIES IN ALL SEASONS FOR EVERYONE:

Accessible by vehicle, Husky Lake is situated above the

50th parallel. This headwater lake is the source of the

Mistassibi River and stretches over a distances of 8 km,

which is a lot of fresh water for fabulous fishing!

Get off the beaten track by exploring the vast

spaces of the Pourvoirie du lac Husky!

Pourvoirie du lac Husky

112, avenue de l’Église, suite 204

Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC G8L 4W4

Phone: 418 276-7551

Email: info@lac-husky.com

Website: www.lac-husky.com

The 10th edition of the Waskahegen Classic took place

on August 17, 2017 at the Dolbeau-Mistassini golf club.

As is tradition, Corporation Waskahegen handed

all the proceeds from the tournament, which came

up to $22,700, to the Fernand Chalifoux Foundation.

This amount brings the total raised by Corporation

Waskahegen and its financial partners for the Fernand

Chalifoux Foundation since the inception of the

tournament to $230,000.

Corporation Waskahegen would like

to thank everyone who contributed to the success

of the Classic.

POURVOIRIE DU LAC HUSKY: THE BEST OF WHAT NATURE HAS TO OFFER

THE WASKAHEGEN CLASSIC: $22,700 RAISED FOR THE FERNAND CHALIFOUX FOUNDATION

• fishing

• hunting

• walking

• canoeing

• quad biking

• snowmobile rides

• snowshoeing

• etc.

19

SYLVAIN SASSEVILLE

Director

GILLES BÉRUBÉ

President-Chief Executive Officer

ROLAND NORMANDEAU

Director

FERNAND CHALIFOUX

Vice-president

RAYMOND BOUCHARD

Director

JEAN JOLICOEUR

Clerk-treasurer

DENIS LARCHE

Director

BOARD CORPORATION WASKAHEGEN