Tyendinaga all-female carpentry team makes tiny homes for families in need

A women's carpentry team in Tyendinaga has built two tiny homes that will act as transitional housing for users of the Red Cedars Shelter.

The result of a woman’s carpentry program in Tyendinaga was unveiled on Tuesday.

The finished product: two tiny homes that will be transitional housing for users of the Red Cedars shelter, a safe place for women and children leaving abusive situations.

These tiny homes, located across from the Red Cedars shelter in Shannonville, are the result of six months of hard work by an all-female carpentry team.

“Women can do anything, no matter what their ages are,” says Tammy McGuire, a landscaper with the program.

“I didn’t know anything about the trades, anything about building a house from start to finish, and to accomplish that and help out our community is a wonderful feeling.”

McGuire is part of a government-funded, pre-apprenticeship training program that involved five women receiving training in carpentry skills, resulting in the two tiny homes.

“The opportunity is amazing to come in here and actually get the tools in my tool belt to actually go out there and make a change for the future, for myself and my family,” says Tamrin Martin, who is new to the program.

“They need a safe place to transition, to recover from their trauma and to organize their lives so they can continue their lives on a better journey,” says Tyendinaga Chief Don Maracle.