Thunderbird House getting long-awaited repairs after months-long protest
CBC
An Indigenous cultural hub in Winnipeg's core area is getting much-needed repairs following a months-long protest.
The push for repairs at Circle of Life Thunderbird House came after community members said they were being denied access to the space, which the Thunderbird House board of directors said was due to safety concerns.
But that didn’t sit well with Meagan Salwan, who, along with others, has been occupying Thunderbird House in protest since March.
She used the space, at the intersection of Higgins Avenue and Main Street, for years to practise with her drumming group.
"I noticed people were working out of here, renting offices, and I said, 'OK, well, if it’s unsafe for us, why is it not unsafe for people to work in there?'" she said.
"I noticed it was only [the community] that were pushed out."
The roof of Thunderbird House has long been in rough shape, with the copper that lines the roof coming off.
Inside, Thunderbird House's plumbing, ventilation and smoke alarms need to be fixed.
Salwan wanted the space to be restored to its former glory. After consulting with community members, she decided to organize an occupation protest in an effort to pressure the board to start the repairs.
"I just said, 'Screw it, I’m going to come in and plop down here and see what happens,'" she said.
"Once I had community on board, I just came and I sat in the middle of the floor and said, 'Call who you need to call, 'cause I’m not going anywhere.'"
Finally, after her eight-month protest, she's learned the repairs are happening, after an architecture company took to social media to say it has been chosen to fix the roof of the building.
"It’s a sigh of relief," said Salwan.
"I feel like us being here, like community actually using this space, got [the board] to be, like, 'Hey, there's people who actually love this place. Let's get it done.'"
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
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