Eskasoni’s new facility Kiknu opens nd
ESKASONI — Shara Poulette shared her anticipation of working in her home community of Eskasoni.
A continuing-care assistant who previously worked at Harbourstone Enhanced Care in Sydney, Poulette says the impact Kiknu — a new longterm care home in Eskasoni — will have on the lives of the elders, many of whom primarily speak the Mi’kmaw language, will be profound.
“Through my journey as a CCA at Harbourstone, I’ve had conversations with Mi’kmaw elders who struggled to communicate due to the language barrier,” Poulette said. “I believe that Kiknu will most definitely have a huge and positive impact on their lives.”
Kiknu officially opened its doors on Wednesday. Located at the far end of the community near Castle Bay, Kiknu (pronounced gig-new) which means “our home” in the Mi’kmaw language, aims to be more than just a care facility. It hopes to bring cultural respect, community integration and holistic well-being to its coming residents.
The 48-room facility cost around $31.2 million and was paid for by both the provincial and federal governments. The province contributed $11.6 million, while the feds contributed $19.6 million toward the facility’s construction. Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny, in his remarks before the ribbon cutting, said the project was only possible with the support and collaboration of a large group of supporters and community members.
“It was really a collaborative effort from the very beginning,” said Denny. “Some people say this was my idea but our band council really pushed for this. They listened to our community and elders, brought it to me and we pushed for it.”
INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE
Drawing inspiration from Turtle Island, the facility is designed in the shape of a turtle, a symbol of longevity and wisdom in Mi’kmaq culture. The facility’s architecture features designated central gathering places for community elders and seniors and areas for family, loved ones and the community to come together, with the turtle’s four legs housing most of the private rooms and onsite training spaces.
Seven tree trunk poles stand in the front lobby, each representing one of the traditional Mi’kmaq districts and the seven sacred teachings. The poles surround a healing circle that provides lots of space for ceremonial activities like Wednesday’s grand opening. Denny expressed profound emotions as he reflected on the journey of bringing the space to life, which he says took over a decade to fully realize.
“It’s unbelievable. When we first started, it was impossible. You couldn’t do it. The doors were closed on us so many times,” said Denny. “Today, it’s just unbelievable that we got here. The team really pushed this through and our doors are open now. I almost can’t believe it.”
SHANNEX PARTNERSHIP
Shannex, which operates care facilities and nursing homes across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, will operate the home alongside Eskasoni. Steve Parsons, chief executive officer of Eskasoni Corporate Division (ECD), who spearheaded much of the project, says Shannex will help operate the home, owned by the Eskasoni Mi’kmaw Nation, for at least the first five years.
“So, we have an operational agreement with Shannex for five years with a fiveyear renewable, to basically be responsible for the daily operations of this facility,” Parsons said.
The home will employ around 75 full-time and part-time staff members: registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, continuing care assistants, culinary arts professionals and more.
Parsons says maximizing local jobs was a central focus of this project.
“We’ve always said we want to maximize the jobs ... all but one employee today is not from the reserve,” Parsons noted. “So, the whole complement will be pretty much 95 per cent filled by people from Eskasoni and that was the intention from day one.”
CULTURAL CARE
Parsons further elaborated on the facility’s culinary offerings, saying Kiknu’s kitchen’s menu will feature traditional Mi’kmaw foods and meals.
“We have our own kitchen here. We’re not going to be a home where food is brought in through bubble packs. The elders are eating cultural traditional foods at home now and that’s part of our planned menu here,” Parsons said. “We even had to get special permission from the department to prepare meals with moose meat and deer meat.”
The attention to detail extends to every aspect of Kiknu, ensuring a comfortable and culturally enriched environment for residents. Each suite is furnished and equipped with safety call systems, private bathrooms, locally made custom quilts and artwork and curio cabinets outside each room to allow residents to personalize their space. All signage and instructional material throughout the facility is displayed in both English and Mi’kmaw and many staff members are fluent Mi’kmaw speakers, giving residents the option to communicate in their preferred language.
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., an open house is planned for community members to tour the facility. The first residents of Kiknu are expected to move in on April 23.