SIX NATIONS — As of Wednesday, February 5, cabins that began construction in August of last year can now be seen from the roadside, elegantly placed and nearly finished amongst the trees in Chiefswood Park.
Their presence marks a step in the direction of the future for the park.
“In 2016, Six Nations Tourism conducted a community consultation process regarding the future of Chiefswood Park,” read the response provided by the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) facilitated by Jessica Hunt, SNEDC public relations specialist.
“Tourism held sessions with various community stakeholders and local Six Nations Schools to determine what it is they wanted to see from the revitalization of Chiefswood Park. The park was also an item highlighted in the Six Nations Community Plan which could be developed to offer more Tourism related events and/or activities. In 2017, the Chiefswood Park business plan was developed along with environmental assessments and archaeology assessments.”
The cottages are just “Phase One” of the revitalization project that began in August 2019, which brought about the construction of the 15 cottage accommodations and the replacement of the boat launch and lower pavilion.
“The cabins are available for occupancy as early as April 1, 2020.. This will be a soft launch with a full launch planned for September 2020 after landscaping has been completed and additional cultural programming has been developed.”
The response from the SNGRDC also included that the cabins were supplied by True North Log Homes and were constructed on site by “an average of 10 Six Nations workers throughout the year-long project depending on workload.”
For interested community members, the SNGRDC included: “The cabins are available for nightly accommodations with a maximum stay of 10 consecutive nights. Each cabin can house between 1-8 guests depending on the size. The cabins are an ideal accommodation option for families visiting our community especially for sporting events when you require multiple beds for the entire family or team. Camping will also be available.
Six Nations Community members will receive up to a 25% discount on facility bookings, including overnight accommodations (both cabins and camping), boat launch passes, rentals of the pavilion, top and bottom of the park. Daytime access to the park will remain free to community members.”
“Phase Two” will see the construction of the proposed Ganǫhsi:yo, (nice place) facility, which will house additional cultural programs and community events. This space will also serve as the contemporary dining establishment.”
But work to finalize the cottages is still coming: landscaping is set to begin in the early spring, with some of the cottages staged with local artwork from Elizabeth Doxtater, Arnold Jacobs and Kimberley White. As funding is secured, the SNGRDC also informed that further expansion will continue on into the future.
“Over the next few years, employment opportunities for community members will continue to grow through the introduction of immersive experiences and programming offered at the park to the over 25,000 visitors Six Nations sees on an annual basis.”
The hope of the park management is to develop the park into a year-round facility with various programs that are reflective of the seasons.