Growing demand for wilderness cabins has led the Chisasibi-based Bear Den Bush Life initiative to offer affordable and sustainable housing solutions. In December, open-door events began inviting prospective clients to explore a sample unit next to the community’s Bear Den Lodge.
“This is a brand-new project in our territory that’s going to be ready-made bush units,” said Bear Den ambassador Gary Chewanish. “We wanted to have an off-grid style with everything installed. It’s going to last long. You just start up your power and there will be heating right away.”
The prefabricated cabins are designed to be easily placed on any clear land with road access, regardless of the season. Installed with screw piles, the buildings don’t require excavation or cement foundations, which typically cost twice than it does for homes down south.
A durable base unit simplifies customization and subsequent additions, while the sloping roof and solid metal siding is fire resistant and maintenance-free. While many cabins were destroyed by the forest fires of 2023, Chewanish said these cabins are protected on all sides. They can even be moved if fire becomes a threat.
The rising cost of supplies and frequent lack of builders has exacerbated overcrowding in northern communities. Chewanish recalled having cabin-building materials waiting in his backyard for an available builder. After several failed attempts and winter coming on, he settled for a backyard shed.
“With traditional camps, somebody has to deliver the material, there’s a lot of steps,” said Chewanish. “The trips you’ll make aren’t easy. It just happened to me and my friend, we got stuck in the slush. So, we came back later and everything was frozen – then we had to chisel.”
While it may eventually be possible to move cabins into more isolated bush by helicopter, they will primarily be transported from Quebec City by truck or boat. Deliveries are expected on Fort George Island this summer. After a one-hour customizing process and financing background check, the units can be built in four weeks and delivered in a day.
“This manufacturer is open to changes for the North,” Chewanish asserted. “You have to build it a different way, and make sure you have the right type of insulation. People can choose their own design or their own materials on the walls. You can also have a wood stove installed.”
During the pandemic, Chewanish became interested in tiny houses and converting to off-grid power before learning of Bear Den’s concept from his friend Patrick Lloyd. Chewanish had called Lloyd’s business, Wachiya Construction, to fix a leaking roof and soon became both brand ambassador and customer.
Lloyd had no aims to be an entrepreneur when first moving to Chisasibi as an electrician about a decade ago, but mentoring a young school security guard, Cody Bobbish, changed his trajectory.
It was a shock when the troubled 18-year-old took his own life. Chewanish was hospital manager and informed Lloyd that Bobbish’s father wanted to meet him and hear stories about his son. Invited to the funeral, Lloyd felt out of place as a newcomer. He grappled with what he should do while fixing a streetlight across from the church.
“All of a sudden, a blackbird landed four inches from my face and just looked at me,” Lloyd recalled. “All my tools fell to the ground. I can’t describe it but it’s like it flew away with my guilt. Mabel Bearskin said it came to tell me not to struggle. That’s when I got addicted to helping people.”
Taking to heart his father’s childhood advice that the best way to help people was to create jobs, Wachiya Construction was incorporated in 2018 and steadily made a name for its renovation services. Burned by bureaucracy and feeling increasingly compelled to make a bigger difference, Lloyd began shifting his focus to addressing other community needs.
BakeCree arrived in 2020, answering a perceived lack of healthier food options and family meal deals. Since Damian Metabie joined as manager last May, Lloyd said it’s running better than ever, with 14 employees. After extensive testing, BakeCree Coffee was launched six months ago with plans to establish Eeyou Istchee’s first coffee-roasting facility.
Finding Chisasibi’s hotel overly expensive and booked with big groups, Lloyd created Bear Den to offer cozier, more affordable rooms. It helped him understand the region’s larger lodging challenges. Lloyd imagined Bobbish’s fate might have been different if he’d had a hunting cabin.
Hoping to address barriers to cabin ownership, Lloyd worked with Mistissini’s Desjardins branch to identify a potential design that could be guaranteed, easily insured and financed without a large down payment. As Bush Life cabins are accessible by road and not drilled into the ground, the bank can easily reclaim its collateral if a client defaults on payment.
Bear Den’s next stage is to add lodging units to overcrowded homes without requiring new land or band resolutions. Elders needing assistance can opt for barrier-free units with 36-inch doors, washroom grab handles and switches at wheelchair height. Duplex, triplex and garage modules will also be available, enabling family members to buy together and more easily qualify for loans.
On February 12, Lloyd will discuss expanding the initiative to Waskaganish with the community’s housing planning board. Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association (COTA) has shown interest in establishing Bush Life cabins in each community.
“If you can afford two Tim Horton’s coffees a day, you can afford this hunting cabin,” Lloyd suggested. “Anybody can have their own cabin now. This initiative can be in all Cree communities and not just here. People need their own environment to find out who they are.”