The ʔumʔiiqsu Centre and ʔumʔiiqsu Child Care Centre have received a generous donation of a fireplace from Island West Coast Developments (IWCD), the Nanaimo-based construction company that built the facility. The donation is a heartfelt gesture made to honour the Centre’s mission and to give back to the community.
“It has been an honour to walk alongside you on this journey,” IWCD shared in a card presented with the fireplace. “We hold deep respect for your strength, your stories, and the wisdom of your traditions. May the road ahead continue to bring healing, balance, and connection to spirit, land, and community. IWCD presents this gift in recognition of your experiences and the resilience they represent.”
They added, “We are honoured to play a part in your path to healing. Thank you for allowing us to be involved.”
To mark the occasion, members of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations Culture and Language Department offered a song. They shared deep gratitude on behalf of the Nation and the ʔumʔiiqsu Centre. They expressed thanks using the word: ʔušy̓akšiƛeʔic – You’ve done something useful.
“The natural translation is, thank you,” hinatinyis, Language Coordinator, Huu-ay-aht First Nations, explained. “The literal translation is, you’ve done something useful, a way of saying what you have done has helped a great deal.”
The ʔumʔiiqsu Centre was established in response to Recommendation 26 of the 2017 Huu-ay-aht First Nations Social Services Project Report, Safe, Healthy, and Connected: Bringing Huu-ay-aht Children Home. That recommendation called for the creation of a culturally rooted Mother Centre to help keep families together and bring Huu-ay-aht children home from foster care.
The Centre operates based on Sacred Principles and provides vital support to mothers and children by preventing family separation, protecting against gender-based and intimate partner violence, and helping families reunify.
The ʔumʔiiqsu Child Care Centre is a core part of this work, providing space for 24 children, from newborn to age five, and delivering early childhood education grounded in Indigenous values of care, respect, and interconnectedness.
With the addition of the fireplace, the space now offers even more warmth and comfort for families on their healing journey.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations Government and ʔumʔiiqsu Centre would like to acknowledge the generous gift from IWCD and express our gratitude for the support. This contribution truly reflects the spirit of what we are building together. We appreciate their respect, support, and recognition of the strength within our community.
