The week when Indigenous entrepreneurship is celebrated, the Crees strike a blow by launching the construction of a 25-storey residential tower conveniently located at the entrance to downtown.
By one of these paradoxes whose history has the secret, the property will be erected on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, named after the Premier of Quebec who signed in 1975 the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the Treaty which changed the life of this Nordic people forever.
The Crees have owned the lot since 1995. At the time, the address was 277 Duke Street. It changed after the demolition of the aerial route of the Bonaventure Expressway.
“I can assure you that we had no say in the choice of the name of the street,” said Derrick Neeposh, president of the Cree Regional Economic Enterprises Company (Creeco), sovereign fund of the Cree Nation with a smile. sort of.
The James Bay Agreement nevertheless had its good side. It provided for the payment of financial compensation by Quebec to the Cree Nation in return for the inconvenience caused by the construction of the La Grande hydroelectric complex. From 1982, the Crees chose to invest a portion of it in an economic development fund: Creeco.
This parent company has since grown small, with subsidiaries in construction, aviation, real estate, hospitality, mining and even partnerships in wind energy projects.
Today, Creeco’s real estate division, Eeyou Eenou Realty Properties (EERP), is reinvesting the proceeds of financial compensation in Montreal on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard. The late Grand Chief Billy Diamond, who fought the James Bay works in court before signing the treaty, would undoubtedly pick up on the irony of the moment.
For Creeco, building in Old Montreal is first and foremost a way of creating wealth in the North.
“When you look at the way we have done business with the South, with many companies, be they consultants, lawyers, engineers, to provide services to our northern communities, we finds that there are significant trade leaks in the South, while the North is getting next to nothing, says Neeposh. It is time for us to generate wealth in the South for the benefit of the North. The profits that will be generated by this project will be used to create wealth for our people, ”he continues.
A work by the native architect Cardinal
The Odea Montreal real estate project, valued at over $ 100 million, above all illustrates the spectacular progress of the Cree Nation on the road to economic emancipation.
Creeco in itself is made a huge machine. Many First Nations have contacted us over the years to learn about our history. We are very proud of what we have managed to achieve in such a short time.
Derrick Neeposh, President of the Cree Regional Economic Enterprises Company
The contrast is indeed striking. The Crees are doing real estate development in the heart of the second largest city in the country, while some aboriginal nations, the unfortunate ones, still lack drinking water.
Designed by Lemay in collaboration with the world-renowned Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal – he designed the spectacular Cree village of Oujé-Bougoumou, near Chapais – Odea Montreal will be recognizable by the representation of a canoe vertically. in its facade. Indeed, its ridge, as fine as a bow, is hollowed out as if a canoe had been embedded in it. The varangues of the boat form the balconies. The name of the project is derived from the Cree word “canoe”: “odeyak”.
“The mayoress of Montreal motivated us to present an unusual project,” says Mr. Neeposh. According to his own words, the project we submitted at the outset was trivial given its exceptional location. She convinced us to build something unique, something that will not look like a butter box or a copy of an existing building. Odea will become a landmark in the city and it will be the pride of many future entrepreneurs of the Cree Nation. ”
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY THE PROMOTER
Odea will rise at the southern entrance to the city center
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY THE PROMOTER
The Odea project, 80 m high. Its ridge, as thin as a bow, is hollowed out as if a canoe had been embedded in it. The varangues of the boat form the balconies.
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY THE PROMOTER
Outdoor terrace
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY THE PROMOTER
Overview of the entrance hall
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY THE PROMOTER
View of a common area planned for the project
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The tower will include 435 housing units, 264 rental apartments and 171 divided condominiums. There will also be 1000 m2 offices and local shops. Part of the land of 3440 m2 will serve as a green space. The project is aiming for LEED silver energy certification.
The promoter who obtained his permit before 1er April 2021, the Odea project is not subject to the diversity regulation, which imposes 20% social housing, 20% affordable housing and 20% family housing. The size of the accommodation ranges from 35 m2 at 120 m2.
The Cree partner in the project is the well-known real estate company Cogir, promoter of the Humaniti complex in the Quartier international and manager of a stock of 27,500 housing units. “We are proud and honored to work with the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee in a project that will become one of the cultural and architectural monuments of Montreal,” said Mathieu Duguay, its President and CEO, in a press release delivered to Press.
Cogir was chosen from 40 partners who came forward to the owners of the coveted land in a process that spanned more than two years. “We wanted a partner who was ready to guide us and able to understand the very specific nature of our organization,” says the president of Creeco.
The condominiums will go on sale next March. Construction will follow shortly for delivery of the 80 m tower in spring 2024.
If Odea is successful, the Crees will want to start a second project. They also own land in Laval ready to be developed.