Fort St. John group and Blueberry River First Nations sign partnership for inclusive downtown housing

The Story

The Fort St. John Association for Community Living and Blueberry River First Nations signed a partnership agreement Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2026, supporting a mixed-use development planned for the city’s downtown.

Community Living CEO Jordan Soggie said the milestone advances the proposal through government funding approvals and described it as a model where people with disabilities can live alongside the community. “The vision since the start is how do we create a model of what we see for our community, where people with disabilities can live alongside the community as a whole,” Soggie said.

Soggie said the association has been developing the project for the past three years to meet growing needs in the city, noting Community Living currently serves about 120 people in the Fort St. John region. He said limited housing options can make it difficult for families who want to live independently. “When those families want to live independently, they have to move to another community and we felt that needed to be corrected,” he said.

Under the proposal, the association is looking to build a 50- to 60-unit housing complex on the site of the city’s former hospital in downtown Fort St. John. Soggie said the project would include market and below-market rental units, along with other community resource services.

Soggie said the planned units would be accessible and adaptable and designed to be inclusive. “The units are going to be accessible and adaptable to their needs, as well as include the community as a whole so that it is inclusive in design, so that their neighbours are just like you or I would have as neighbours,” he said. “That’s really our mission, to make sure people feel like they belong.”

Blueberry River Chief Sherry Dominic said one of her community’s members takes part in Community Living services and that the partnership would also increase Blueberry River’s presence in the city beyond its offices. “They could be used for our members that are going to transition from the hospital or to the hospital,” Dominic said, adding, “Feeling excited that we’re going to be part of something great.”

Fort St. John Mayor Trevor Bolin said the city has donated the land in support of the project. He said the plan would complete a major redevelopment of the former hospital site, where a new 115-unit seniors housing building is almost finished construction.

The housing project has been proposed under the B.C. Builds program. Soggie said he believes the project’s merits will be seen by the provincial government. “This has been a huge milestone for us,” Soggie said. “To get the partners into the project, to showcase the feasibility, the vision for that inclusive approach that we want to have, and welcoming community we want to build.”