As a vibrant and caring community hub, our vision is to revitalize, celebrate and embrace all Indigenous peoples and cultures in the spirit of trust, respect and friendship.

It is with this vision in mind that the Awitgati Longhouse and Cultural Centre Project was created. Led by Under One Sky and informed by years of grass-roots community engagement, this centre will be a vibrant and transformative facility that promotes community-building and wellbeing through a range of programming in health, education, culture, gathering and events. This centre will be a 21,000sqft community centre located on the 300 Block of Union Street, Fredericton. The budget for the centre is $18.6M and will be provided in full (100%) by Infrastructure Canada under the Green & Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program launched in 2021.

Grounded in Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaq values and perspectives, the centres design is inspired by traditional longhouses, the Seven Sacred Teachings, the Medicine Wheel, and form of a turtle shell.

Our Project Team

Under One Sky’s new centre will be the first net-zero-carbon community building in New Brunswick, one of the highest green building standards in North America. The building will feature several green building and clean-tech innovations, including a geothermal heat exchange system with over a dozen vertical wells drilled on-site along with an extensive rooftop photovoltaic array system. These innovations will allow us to provide 50% of our electricity needs and 90% of our heating/cooling needs from on-site renewable systems, resulting in a 40% reduction in carbon emissions relative to comparable buildings.

In the spirit of inclusion, a core principle of Under One Sky, the centre will welcome and be accessible to people from all backgrounds, identities, ability levels, and nations. The location of the facility in the urban core is central to where our staff and primary user groups live, work, and play. The site can be reached by the active transportation networks that are adjacent to the property, as well as by public transit along Union Street. Awitgati will be designed to Accessibility Certified Gold” (RHFAC v.3.0) from the Rick Hansen Foundation which exceeds Canadian accessible design standards.

Why a Longhouse?

Longhouses are traditional structures that are found in Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqey cultures on the East Coast. These longhouses were places of gathering, nurturing, respect, and ceremony for extended families and communities. People would be welcome and could connect with friends and relations to seek and offer support, advice, companionship, and rest.

With Under One Sky’s vision for a contemporary longhouse and in collaboration with our Elders, this project was gifted the name A·wit·gati - meaning a place to gather and find wellness as a community. This project honours our vision and strives to address this sacred responsibility. The plans for the longhouse are an innovative response that addresses the priorities of our community. It will be a place for community building and passing on our culture and traditions from one generation to the next.

The building is centered around an exterior courtyard with a ceremonial fire. The courtyard contains gathering spaces, public art works and a children’s play area. The courtyard transitions into more natural spaces including a medicine garden, private spaces for contemplation, and a natural stream. The site is located between a transit route and an active transportation network (cycling and walking trails) and is destined to become an iconic landmark and vibrant destination in the community.

Honourable Arlene Dunn, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs New Brunswick

Honourable Jill Green, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure New Brunswick

David Coon, MLA for Fredericton South New Brunswick

It's really important that we can have a space where we can actually be who we are, stand in our identity and not ever have to apologize

- Patsy McKinney; Executive Director

"This is exactly what we need as Indigenous peoples. A safe place to go to talk with our community when things like this happen. And to heal."

- Community Member

Operations

Community Engagement

Stakeholder input was collected from a diverse mix of clients, families, service partners, people who are differently-abled, Elders, the Indigenous arts and culture community, nearby Wolastoqey and Mi’Kmaq communities, Indigenous health researchers, cultural and capital programming experts, Indigenous social development organizations, tourism and events organizations, community organizations, and advocates from various government ministries. Over the course of this engagement, over 100 Indigenous people and organizations were consulted and provided advice.

Needs assessment began in 2017 with over 18 different workshops, focus groups, and engagement sessions. Community engagement sessions to explore Awitgati began in 2020 and included multiple town-halls, interviews, workshops, and focus groups. Participants in these sessions were mostly Indigenous. A Gender Based Analysis + lens was used to solicit and interpret a diverse range of ideas, opinions, and feedback for what the centre could and should be.The project is a testimonial to the power of collaboration and grass-roots community led approach. We received over 37 letters of support from a wide cross-section of community organizations, institutions, representatives, and elected officials. The spirit of collaboration will continue over the coming months as we develop a community benefits plan with the aim to build capacity and bring together local expertise during the construction process.

Our Allies and Supporters

We have engaged with hundreds of stakeholders and community members. The support has been overwhelming; we’ve received letters and endorsements from over 35 different organizations and institutions across Fredericton and New Brunswick, including:

Project Timeline

Our Funders

The longhouse is grounded in Wolastoqey and Mi’kmaq principles and values and offers a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Wolastoqey and Mi’kmaq longhouse designs and materials. The longhouse assumes the form of a turtle shell, representing Turtle Island. The programming of the building is divided up into a collection of pods that are assigned with the 7 Sacred Teachings. These pods are connected by an interior passageway that is reminiscent of a flowing river. The building is arranged symmetrically around a circular pavilion, inspired by the medicine wheel, that opens to the East and contains a sacred fire. The landscaping of the site will incorporate the elements of wind, water, earth, and fire as gardens surrounding each pod.

The Longhouse brings a boundary breaking approach to what a community centre can be. The programming takes a holistic view that reflects how Indigenous communities interact, encompassing all ages and stages of life. The centre will include sections and rooms for: early childhood education classes, childcare, a health clinic, birthing centre, counselling offices, business incubator spaces, activity room, conference room, community and commissary kitchen, dining room, cafe, adult education classrooms, arts and culture workshop, gallery and exhibit spaces, catering kitchen, and a ceremonial hall/performing arts room.