The open houses for the Red River supportive housing project scheduled to take place in Morris, Rosenort, and St. Jean Baptiste this week were postponed due to uncertainties between Canada-U.S. relations.
Unstable construction costs due to proposed potential tarrifs by incoming President Donald Trump have led to construction companies implementing protective pricing, project organizers share.
As a result, “we were not ready to give numbers to the public,” explained Chris Hamblin, deputy mayor for the Town of Morris and chair of the board leading the shared initiative between the RM of Montcalm, RM of Morris, and Town of Morris.
Although it was a “difficult decision to postpone the open houses, we want the public to know where we are at,” she said. “We are looking for a more stable environment in the U.S-Canada situation.”
Postponement allows a more realistic overview of the proposed housing to be attached to the existing arena and multiplex in Morris to be presented to the public rather than a project that is beyond the scope of fundraising and building cost potential, Hamblin explained. Waiting for more accurate building costs avoids the potential and unnecessary “frustration and upsetting” of community members, she said.
The planning committee will continue to “look at a number of things over the next few months,” Hamblin said. “Only once Trump is in place and the Canadian system stabilizes will we be able to come back with more certain numbers.
“We are committed to bringing this supportive housing project to the area,” she reiterated, “and hope to be able to share plans by early summer when we have greater project cost assurance.”
