Through radical renovations, HeroWork is back at it again.
On Oct. 2, The non-profit foundation celebrated a project currently underway for Indigenous Perspectives Society (IPS), a much-needed renovation of their headquarters in Langford.
HeroWork plans to renew the training facility for IPS to accommodate more people and is working to add washrooms and offices, along with improving lighting, soundproofing, and airflow. There will also be an overall redesign of the interior, exterior and landscaping.
“We wanted to produce a space that provides that cultural relevance to people that come here,” Paul Latour, HeroWork’s founder, said at the reveal. “After so many years, decades and centuries of trying to suppress culture, identity and people – to be able to be part of that change is an honour.”
Founder of HeroWork, Paul Latour, talks about the importance of #Reconciliation. Renovations are underway for Indigenous Perspective Society’s building in Langford, located on Granderson Road. #westshore @saanichnews @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/wOuIxP5WFt
— Megan Atkins-Baker (@MeganAtkinss) October 2, 2021
The project is inspired by Indigenous peoples’ connection with the natural world, culture, values, and lifestyles, a release said. Eddy Charlie, a Kuper Island residential school survivor who started the Victoria chapter of Orange Shirt Day with his friend Kristin Spray, said at the reveal the newly renovated space will be another place where Indigenous people feel like they belong.
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Organizers and volunteers came together to bring light to the project and to empower IPS while addressing the importance of reconciliation.
The organization said that the need for reconciliation is evident in the multi-generational trauma caused by the legacy of residential schools and continues through the prejudice and discrimination that Indigenous people continue to face today.
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