Lax Kw'alaams officials and guests cut the ribbon for much anticipated apartment project on 11th Avenue East

The construction phase for the Lax Kw'alaams Apartment complex
on 11th Avenue East is officially underway following a ribbon cutting
ceremony that took place on Thursday
(image from Lax Kw'alaams FB)

Heavy equipment machinery was assembled as a backdrop for a cleared parcel of land off of 11th Avenue east at Edwards Avene,   the area the location for a celebration to herald the construction phase of the Lax Kw'alaams led Housing plans that will see a 70 unit apartment complex rise over the next eighteen months or so.

Lax Kw'alaams officials were joined by municipal, provincial and federal politicians for the Thursday afternoon ribbon cutting, the 11th Ave East festivities just the first half of the two hour plus celebration to herald the project's progress.

The second half of the Thursday program took everyone to the Lax Kw'alaams Hall on Third West where speeches, drumming and dancing added to the moment, the move forward for the project one that finally has seen actual shovels go into the ground to begin a building process.

Dancers and Drummers helped to celebrate Thursday's 
Groundbreaking  event, with the festivities taking place
at the Lax Kw'alaams Community Hall on Third Avenue West
(image from Lax Kw'alaams FB)

The prep work of this past summer finally provided for the first indication that the plans that were first outlined in 2019 were finally going to bring something tangible to see.

The first notes of the proposed development were shared in a Lax Kw'alaams Council newsletter, noting that the Band Council was working with the city to identify a potential site for the structure, though the scope of the original project which was to include daycare,  employment training centres and community planning space would be scaled back as the years moved forward.

The housing plans also became one of the key elements of the 2030 Vision  presentation by then Mayor Lee Brain. 

Though a sense of where the actual site to be developed would be located did not come until the City began to put in place lane closures on the east side of the city off of 11th Avenue East, with Lax Kw'alaams formally identifying the location in November 2020.

The path from November 2020 to  October 2023 was at times challenging and contentious, that as neighbours in the immediate area would express some concerns, much of them related to what they felt was a lack of consultation by the City and City Council,  towards the proposed development and for some accusations that City Council membership had already decided on the site.

Those concerns would at times boil over during two contentious Public Hearings towards the development, the two hearings came six weeks apart, the second one moved to a Zoom option as COVID concerns began to expand in the community.

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Once approved there would be a one year gap before any further signs of progress would come, most of that related to COVID which impacted much in the way of activties in both Lax Kw'alaams and Prince Rupert during 2021 and 2022.

The first indication that things were back on track was the arrival of some land clearing equipment in December 2022 to begin the exploratory work required for the build. 

A Lax Kw'aalams community update  from May of this year provided news that the WAAP Housing Society had taken out a building permit,  the revised timeline for the project advising that shovels would  be in the ground before years end.

That took place Thursday with the official celebration at the 11th Avenue work site, Harvey Russel Junior noting of some of  travels to that point,  in his comments at the Lax Kw'alaams Community hall on Third West where the festivities for the day would wrap up.

Lax Kw'alaams Mayor Gary Reece spoke of some of the tensions that came out from the Two public hearings in his comments.

Other officials that participated in the Thursday event included Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond, North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach.

Now that the Housing Society has shifted into the active construction phase, the anticipation will grow for the Grand Opening of the 70 unit development, a project which will help to reduce some of the current pressures on affordable. housing in the community

The most recent advisory for residents of Lax Kw'alaams indicated that if all goes well with the construction schedule, the building will be competed sometime in 2025.

Lax Kw'alaams has shared a volume of photos from the Thursday celebration which you can review here.

Follow their social media stream for updates on the construction phase as the month ahead move forward.

Our full review of the project to this point can be explored here.

More notes on housing in Prince Rupert can be reviewed here.