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PIBC is pleased to present the annual webinar in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This year we showcase partnerships and collaborations in planning and development among First Nations and other organizations. Our speakers present a number of case studies from across BC and the Yukon, from smaller projects to large scale developments.  These projects offer good lessons and insights into best practices in planning and development. If you work with First Nations and want to strengthen the working relationship, you will find this webinar practical and informative.
 

Presentations

Chasàn Tatäy Neighbourhood, Whitehorse, Yukon
The Chasàn Tatäy Neighbourhood in Whitehorse is a joint project between Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) and the Government of Yukon (YG) that will feature mixed density housing, a walkable design, neighbourhood park spaces, and indigenous placemaking.  This neighbourhood will be the Yukon’s first serviced neighbourhood jointly planned and developed by the territorial government and a First Nation government.  Join representatives from KDFN, YG and the consultant who completed the master plan to discuss how this project got past the finish line to the construction phase.

B.C.’s Evolving Affordable Housing Sector
Over the past five years, the non-market housing sector has changed dramatically. Unprecedented demand, expansive new funding, challenging operating conditions, changes to the Local Government Act, and rising construction costs have fundamentally altered what it means to be an affordable housing developer and operator. Kaela Schramm (M’akola Development Services) and Alita Tocher (M’akola Housing Society) tell the story of the evolving affordable housing sector in British Columbia through four project examples, demonstrating the unique puzzle of partnership, funding, and timing that it takes to build and manage new homes for urban Indigenous people. Participants can expect to leave the presentation with a better understanding how Indigenous housing is built and operated, and tangible actions to support new Indigenous homes in their communities.
 

Our Speakers

Ben Campbell RPP, MCIP
Government of Yukon
Ben Campbell (RPP, MCIP) has lived in the Yukon for the past 18 years and works for the Land Development Branch at the Government of Yukon. He grew up on the west coast of Vancouver Island and graduated from the School of Community and Regional Planning at UBC. He’s passionate about working with Yukon First Nations and other partners to help address and find solutions to growing housing pressures being experienced in the territory.
 

Roy Neilson RPP, MCIP
Kwanlin Dün First Nation
Roy Neilson (RPP, MCIP) has been working as a planner in the Yukon Territory for the last 10 years.  He is currently the Planning  for the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, Department of Heritage, Lands and Resources.

Jane Koepke RPP, MCIP
Groundswell Planning
Jane Koepke (RPP, MCIP) is a lifetime Yukoner, professional planner and principal of Groundswell Planning, a small consultancy that creates impact through land and community development, parks, and recreation projects across the territory. Jane is a recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for the Singletrack to Success Project, a community-based destination development model integrating youth capacity building, cultural reconnection, and trail building that she founded in partnership with Carcross/Tagish First Nation in 2005.

Kaela Schramm, MEd, MUP, AICP, APA
Executive Director, M’akola Development Services

Kaela is the Executive Director at M’akola Development Services (MDS). She has over fifteen years of professional consulting experience and has been working with M'akola since 2011. Under Kaela’s leadership, MDS has grown to a full-service housing and planning consultancy, including development consulting, community planning, project and operations management, capacity building, and Indigenous relations. Kaela provides strategic oversight and direction to all MDS’s projects; over 3400 units across the province representing nearly $2B in construction costs.

Kaela is a registered professional planner with the American Institute of Planners, has a Master of Urban Planning degree from McGill University (2012), a Master of Education degree from St. Lawrence University in New York (2010), and graduated cum laude (honors) with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and History from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota (2007). In 2018, Kaela was named one of BC’s Forty under 40 by Business in Vancouver. She sits on the Women of UDI (WUDI) Capital Region Committee, Women of Urban Land Institute of BC (WLI) Committee, and is a member of the Leadership Team driving ULI BC’s Partnerships for Health Equity Program.
 

Alita Tocher, MA, CIHCM, GCPM
Senior Director of Housing Operations, M’akola Housing Society
Chair, BC Non-Profit Housing Society Board of Directors

With over a decade of experience in affordable and Indigenous housing, Alita Tocher is a recognized leader in housing operations, dedicated to building strong systems and practices that foster inclusive and sustainable communities. As Senior Director of Housing Operations at M’akola Housing, she is responsible for overseeing more than 2,200 homes across British Columbia, where she leads with a focus on operational excellence grounded in Indigenous values and perspectives.

Alita has worked extensively with non-profit organizations and Indigenous nations throughout the province, providing expertise in operational strategy, housing policy review, and program development. A strong advocate for the sector, she currently serves as Chair of the Board for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA). Committed to ongoing growth and leadership, Alita holds a Master’s degree in Justice Studies from Royal Roads University, a Graduate Certificate in Project Management, and the Chartered Housing designation from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).

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