First Nation establishes standard for climate-resilient housing and infrastructure

A small, remote First Nation in northern Alberta is undertaking a major initiative to build climate-resilient structures in response to the increasing regularity of debilitating smoke from wildfires and the impacts of environmental change.

On evenings when new building plans are discussed with members of the Lubicon Lake Cree Nation, the process often begins not with blueprints, but with a shared meal. Residents gather to talk about where a doorway should go, how a kitchen should feel, or how a space can better serve families who live in close relation to the land.

Those conversations are helping shape a series of new buildings that are designed to reflect both the realities of a changing climate and the priorities of the people who live in the territory.

“It’s very community-based,” said Janice Willier, health projects co-ordinator with Lubicon Lake Band #453. “We meet with community members and invite everybody over. We have supper first, and then we talk and adjust things based on what the community thinks they need.”

That approach now sits at the heart of a large-scale, one-of-a-kind infrastructure effort, marking what local leaders say is the first time a First Nation has applied the Climate Ready Infrastructure Service (CRIS) across an entire community. CRIS connects local governments and Indigenous communities with climate experts to integrate low-carbon resilience into infrastructure projects.

At Lubicon Lake, more than a dozen major buildings are being planned or constructed with the overall initiative expected to run through 2028. The work includes a new school, health centre, continuing care facility, administration building, fire hall and public works infrastructure, alongside road, water, wastewater and solar projects.

To date, 19 homes have been completed, with approximately 125 more planned. While most of the larger buildings are expected to be finished within the next few years, the full housing build‑out is anticipated to take several more years to complete.

The work goes beyond construction, reflecting a response to a changing climate and a renewed focus on how the Nation lives on its land.

Defining reality

Wildfire smoke has become a defining reality across northern Alberta, with immediate and disruptive impacts in Lubicon Lake. Last year alone, the community shut down operations for about 14 days due to poor air quality, Willier said. During those periods, offices closed, health services paused and residents stayed home.

“Fourteen business days is a lot of downtime for a small Nation,” she said.

Portable air filtration units were distributed to homes, but could only filter a single room, while key buildings were not equipped to operate during prolonged smoke events.

The experience revealed how vulnerable the community’s infrastructure was.

“We started with fire and smoke,” Willier said. “But then we realized there’s so many other things we have to plan for.”

Willier pointed to “extreme hot and cold” and “higher highs and lower lows,” along with stronger storms, shifting seasonal patterns, and the long-term impacts of permafrost. Although not specified in this case, similar projects that factor in permafrost must account for shifting ground that can affect foundations, changes in drainage that can lead to water pooling or erosion, and increased maintenance requirements due to freeze-thaw cycles.

Tegan Martin-Drysdale, new infrastructure project manager with Lubicon Lake Band, said those conditions required practical changes.

“We’ve added backup generators because it’s not just wildfire season. We also face winter storms, ice and high winds,” she said. “When the power goes out at minus 30 or minus 40, we need to keep everyone warm, so homes now include backup heat sources like wood stoves.”

Climate resilience toolkit

To address these overlapping risks, Lubicon Lake worked with CRIS and Simplify Energy to develop a climate resilience toolkit, which provides a locally tailored guide that informs all current and future builds and ensures new designs respond to conditions exposed during smoke and fire seasons.

New homes are being built to be “airtight,” Martin‑Drysdale said, with an air‑change rate of about 1.5 or less and heat‑recovery ventilators that can recirculate indoor air during wildfire smoke instead of drawing in outside air. Public buildings use MERV 13 high-efficiency, commercial-grade air filters for improved air quality.

FireSmart principles are also being applied, including keeping flammable building materials and vegetation at least 10 metres away from homes and using Class A fire‑rated roofing and siding, with protected eaves and soffits to reduce ember risk. The homes are designed to be about 30 per cent more energy efficient, important in a region that routinely sees deep winter cold.

Beyond climate resilience, the build is creating homes that fit how Lubicon families actually live.

Martin-Drysdale said the new floor plans were developed through “many consultations with the families and the Elders and the community,” and differ from standard builder designs. Many houses are laid out for multi‑generational living, with larger gathering areas around the kitchen and dining room to reflect how the space is used.

One visible change is the mudroom. Martin‑Drysdale said mudrooms were specifically written into the settlement agreement because a typical small entryway “is totally inadequate for these families” given time spent on the land and the number of people in each home. The reworked plans make room for boots, gear and outdoor clothing used for hunting and similar activities.

‘Lubicon standard’

“We’ve tried to bring in other builders and looked at their catalogues and their floor plans, and there are clear differences unique to Lubicon,” she said. “We call it the Lubicon standard.”

Those designs have been shaped through repeated community consultations where members help refine each detail.

“It takes a longer time, but it ensures that we are delivering what the band requires,” Willier said.

The scale of the project is inseparable from Lubicon Lake’s history.

For generations, the Nation fought for recognition of its rights after being excluded from Treaty 8 in 1899. A settlement agreement reached in 2018 marked a turning point, providing the foundation for long‑overdue infrastructure and formally recognizing the community as a First Nation.

This new construction flows directly from that settlement and shows what self-determination looks like in practice.

“The language in the settlement agreement was very strategic and specific about climate resiliency, being culturally appropriate and sustainable,” said Martin-Drysdale. “That’s what allows us to do these unique Lubicon standards that we know aren’t being applied in other Indigenous communities.”

The work is also opening the door for members to help build — and later run — their own infrastructure.

Martin-Drysdale said contractors are required to involve local labour and support apprenticeships, with the Nation tracking hires and training hours. A planned “Try a Trade” week will introduce residents and students to construction trades, while additional training will support the local operation of new water and wastewater systems.

The goal, she said, is not just “general exposure to the trades,” but helping people step into longer‑term careers that can keep the community’s new infrastructure running.

Alberta’s government says it is also working with communities to reduce wildfire risk through a range of measures, including FireSmart initiatives, vegetation management, and improved land-use planning.

In a statement, Alberta’s Forestry and Parks department told Windspeaker.com the province is “taking a proactive approach to wildfire preparedness by working with communities across the province to reduce the potential impact of wildfires before they start,” including support for “Indigenous-led initiatives” and the incorporation of traditional knowledge.

Signed in 2018 after generations of being overlooked, Lubicon Lake Cree Nation’s settlement agreement has now become a blueprint for building together — on their own terms, for their own future.

“This is impacting Lubicon band members directly, so we want to make sure we’re giving them the best that they need and deserve,” Willier said. “That kind of engagement is our cultural way of doing things. You make sure everybody has a voice at the table.”

Communities seeking to develop similar climate-resilient buildings through community-focused design can learn more at ClimateReadyCanada.ca.