Tori Watkins is one of 120 students at two Brampton high schools who have helped build tiny homes for First Nations communities as part of a partnership between Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga and the Peel District School Board (PDSB). The homes were built under PDSB’s Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program.

One home was built this school year at Judith Nyman Secondary School and the other at Brampton Centennial Secondary School. Both homes will be handed over to the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation community in late summer or early fall. Decisions on how to use the new homes will be made after discussions with Indigenous partners. Previously, the homes have been used for temporary or emergency housing for community members dealing with mental health and addiction issues.

Watkins, a Grade 12 student at Brampton Centennial, said the project confirmed her passion for construction. This is her second year participating; last year, she worked on the interior finishing, and this year, she focused on framing and the exterior. According to the PDSB, 20 percent of the students involved this year were female. Watkins encourages all kids, especially girls, to try construction and be more active in this male-dominated field.

The home built at Judith Nyman is complete, while Brampton Centennial’s home is about 95% finished with some mechanical work to be done over the summer. Judith Nyman’s construction teacher Joe Yoon, a carpenter by trade, said Habitat for Humanity provided the plans and materials for the project, and the site was treated as a regular construction site where students had to abide by all construction site rules. The home built at Judith Nyman has a full kitchen, a full bath, a stacked washer and dryer, and radiant heated floors.

The project offered students hands-on experience, including electrical work, rough and finishing carpentry, plumbing, and roofing, making students confident in their skills and showing them a pathway in the trades.

This project connects housing needs with reconciliation. This is the second year PDSB has participated in the project with Habitat for Humanity, and the partnership will continue next year. The tiny homes address a housing need within the Indigenous community while helping students develop skills they can use beyond the project.

Source: Brampton Guardian