Fisher River Cree Nation acquires historic Rubin Block for transitional housing

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The Rubin Block, a building at the corner of Osborne Street and Morley Avenue in Winnipeg that has been vacant and boarded up since a fire in 2014, has been purchased by Fisher River Cree Nation.

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Fisher River Cree Nation officially announced the acquisition last week with the plan to transform the century-old historic building into a modern multi-family transitional complex, providing safe transitional housing for families in need.

“We are deeply grateful to our funding partners for their commitment to supporting vulnerable families.” said Chief David Crate of the Fisher River Cree Nation in a statement.

The purchase of The Rubin Block was made possible through support of several key funding partners, including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), the provincial government, the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Initiative (NICHI), Fisher River Cree Nation and the First Nation Healing Centre.

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In Hannah’s Dress Maker clothing alteration business a few doors down, Jung Park is looking forward to have the Rubin Block turned back into apartments.

“They have to do the renovation,” said Park, whose shop was formerly one of two ground floor businesses in the building forced out by the fire. “The area is getting better.”

The Rubin Block, a historic building dating back over a century, will undergo extensive restoration work. The goal is to have approximately a dozen units available in the building.

The building was constructed in 1914 and designed by acclaimed architect Max Zev Blankstein, but has sat vacant since 2014 after a fire ripped through it. It was dropped from the city’s list of historic properties in 2014.

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In the decade since, there has been public outcry to fix the building and convert it into affordable housing.

In 2019, the building was added to the National Trust for Canada’s top 10 list of endangered buildings.

“Work on the restoration of The Rubin Block is already underway, and the Fisher River Cree Nation is committed to completing the project in a timely manner,” Fisher River Cree Nation said in the statement.

glen.dawkins@kleinmedia.ca

X: @SunGlenDawkins

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