AFN Enterprises Limited Partnership (AFN Enterprises), the business arm of the ʔakisq̓ nuk First Nation (ʔAFN) has acquired an 11.6-acre parcel of land in Windermere, on which to build rental units. The intent is to help alleviate the housing crisis in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa (the Ktunaxa name for the East Kootenay region) while re-establishing Ktunaxanintik stewardship over a portion of the area.
General manager Robert Thomas said AFN Enterprises started looking at the project shortly after the company was formed in October, 2023.
"We approached the realtor and there had been some feasibility studies done on it in the past concerning development and we looked at those and we said ‘okay there’s something here that we can turn into something very attractive,'" Thomas said.
"One of the issues with the land right now for future development is basically infrastructure limitations, so the waterlines there will only support so many homes so we are looking at developing rental properties and some properties for sale, keeping in mind that there are those limitations right now, but expecting that in the future there will be future growth in the infrastructure that will allow us to develop further."
Thomas explained they are currently going through a zoning process, with the idea being they will develop a number of rental properties keeping in mind the concept of living wage used to set rental rates. ʔAFN Enterprises will develop a property manage company to manage the properties built there.
Some of the properties will be used to attract employees to ʔAFN as it continues to increase its capacity to provide services to its members and community.
"One of the problems that the entire Columbia Valley feels, is the lack of ability to attract talented people into the Valley, because there is no ability to house them," Thomas said. "By taking a portion of those homes and making them available we hope that AFN is able to become a preferred employer in the Valley."
In April AFN Enterprises acquired a 4.3 acre parcel of land on 645 4th St. in downtown Invermere. This site houses the Government of B.C. building in Invermere, a private company and a vacant building, which AFN Enterprises now occupies.
The ʔAFN is currently in the process of building a new multi-purpose facility, so some of their staff moved into the building after it was fixed up a little, until the new facility is complete.
"We had a flag-raising ceremony and put up a Ktunaxa flag on the property just for people to identify that the town of Invermere, the district of Invermere, sits on traditional Ktunaxa territory," Thomas said. "Same thing with the Windermere property, we are just trying to make people aware that look this is Ktunaxa traditional so by making these purchases we’re asserting our presence.
"It’s a visual, it’s something that people can see and it’s going to be very exciting for the community to see the development and know that they’ve done that."
Thomas, originally a businessman from Calgary, Alta., had a place in Invermere, and said that after selling his businesses in Calgary, he interviewed for the position with AFN Enterprises last July and said he's been loving it every since.
He was joined recently by chief administrative officer David Bach, and they plan to grow their board in the near future.
"We’ve had applications come in and we’re going through those right now and we’re getting through our first fiscal year end and then we will start looking at capacity building to assist in all of the ventures we’re looking into," Thomas said.
You can learn more about AFN and AFN Enterprises at this link: akisqnuk.org
