Weekly Newsletters
Stó:lo Nation - Stó:lo Resource Centre
Stó:lo Nation is proud to present to you the award winning Stó:lo Resource Centre!
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“This building here has been our dream since the mid 70’s”
The Stó:lo Resource Centre (Siya’m House) is located in the heart of S’ólh Téméxw (‘Our World; Our Land’), on the Coqualeetza Grounds in Chilliwack, B.C. The Siya’m House, as it is locally referred to, received the Chilliwack Chambers of Commerce “Building Excellence Award,” for its superior design and engineering. Also recognizing the exceptional project, the Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification announced the centre as the winner of the 2010 Minister's Award for Excellence and Innovation. It is a true community project that succeeded in bringing together culture and economic development in a way never seen before!
The story of the Stó:lo Resource Centre begins with the successful partnerships Sto:lo Nation made with the Stó:lo Tribal Council as well as other Stó:lo organizations and bands, the city of Chilliwack, the Federal and Provincial Governments, and the innovative building design and development team. Through a $12-million dollar development partnership with the Government of Canada's Community Adjustment Fund, the 3-storey, 24,000 square foot exquisitely designed building is a powerful demonstration of the Stó:lo peoples’ proud heritage, and their prominent place as educational, research, and business development leaders in the lower mainland and Fraser Valley.
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To see the Stó:lo Resource Centre Opening Day Ceremony click here
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Cultural development Major artworks include the Welcome Figures carved from local western red cedar by Stó:lo artists George Pennier (Scowlitz First Nation), Rocky LaRock (Chehalis First Nation), Sean Hinton (Sumas First Nation), Dwayne Malloway (Tzeachten First Nation) and William Baker (Squamish First Nation). Representing the household heads of a siya:m (highly respected) family, these monumental male and female figures stand at the main entryway welcoming all visitors. Education The building includes a number of interconnected educational spaces including an archive and library, storage and display areas for thousands of Stó:lo artifacts, a halq’eméylem language lab and classroom, a central cultural educational and conferencing space, an elders' room, videoconferencing boardrooms, and offices for numerous staff from the Stó:lo Nation and the Stó:lo Development Corporation. Even the landscape is designed with traditional plants, making for a unique educational opportunity for any visitor! |
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Energy efficiency Achieving LEED recognition involved twelve professional engineering and design firms, most from Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley, making it one of Chilliwack's key environmentally sound buildings. LEED Design includes passive solar energy, a successful geothermal energy system, superior water efficient landscaping, and more! Economic development The construction of the Stó:lo Resource Centre employed 386 people and was built on time and on budget. The Stó:lo Nation offers its business, cultural education, research and resource management programs to benefit all community members in the region in the new Stó:lo Resource Centre. |
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Stó:lo Chief Joe Hall recognizes the Stó:lo Resource Center as “a tremendous advancement in our ability to house and showcase elements of Stó:lo culture. Our new Centre will increase the ability of Stó:lo Nation and our partners to provide services and programs throughout the region, particularly culturally-oriented services such as halq’eméylem language education and cross-cultural education within the public school system.” It is a place that will help with the important task of ‘xyólhmet te mekw'stám ít kwelát’… taking care of everything that belongs to us, the Stó:lo.
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