Available housing has long been an issue in our region and is often in short supply. Over the years FVSD has encountered this regarding staff housing and finding suitable accommodations for new teachers.

Under the direction of construction teacher Richard Halladay and carpentry apprentice Zach Hunley, three students from Fort Vermilion Public School (FVPS) and three students from Rocky Lane School (RLNS) are building three new homes to address this gap in the local market. Students from the La Crete area worked on the build last year and High Level area students will have an opportunity to get involved in the future as this project progresses. Upon completion of the job, FVSD will have a total of eight brand new units for teacher housing. 

Keeping student groups small imitates a real-life job site where there are typically 3-5 people on a site all working at the same time, unlike a classroom or instructional setting where only a few are working while the rest of the group observes or has to wait for their turn to complete a task.

Principal Contractor for EDGE Homes, Grant Charles, joined the team this month to oversee the business aspects of the initiative such as sales and building relationships within the local construction industry. EDGE Homes is a home construction company and operates out of our CSA approved facility in Fort Vermilion - Sipiwan Centre 15.

Part of Charles’ new role includes managing maintenance for FVSD’s existing staff housing. Students assist with this aspect of the business as helpers and in the process learn how to do simple home maintenance tasks like changing taps, replacing furnace filters, installing a washer/dryer, or changing light fixtures. For more complex fixes or ones that involve a trades professional (ex. plumber, electrician), students help assess the problem to identify what needs to be done and who needs to be brought in.

This Construction Pathway allows students to explore carpentry and the construction industry as well as related fields like plumbing and electrical. From here students can take Pre-Employment Carpentry prior to graduation. This allows them to start their trade career while still in high school and gives them a practical base of experience to aid in the transition to a workplace environment. Pre-Employment Plumbing and Pre-Employment Electrical courses are being planned for the near future.

PROJECT GOAL: To give students practical skills in electrical, plumbing, carpentry, drafting and engineering through hands on learning and real-world experience. To provide a safe and secure place for teachers to live while also contributing practical solutions to the housing crisis in the north.

The Job

Ready to Move (RTM) homes for a residential lot in High Level (10904-100 Avenue)

• 8 stick built units resulting in one duplex and two triplexes on the lot
• Each unit is 816 sq ft and has two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen with island, and living area
• Includes fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer/dryer

The Client

Fort Vermilion School Division

The Process

• Floor is constructed on the west end of a custom built rail system, framed and insulated on the sides then sheeting is put is on;
• Using carts with large inflatable airbags, the floor is moved along rails to the east end of the shop where the exterior walls, trusses and interior walls go up, once this floor is moved the next home can be started on the west end of the rail system;
• FVSD maintenance staff provide electrical and plumbing expertise with students working alongside them - Peter Janzen and Rudy Janzen do all the electrical, while Stacey Froese and Gary Driedger take care of plumbing;
• Insulation for the walls and the vapor barrier are completed, followed by drywall on the ceiling and insultation in the attic space;
• Roof is finished and readied for the final installation of tin on site (this is done once the units are in place and connected together);
• Home is now ready to go to it’s final location and moved out of the shop into the yard to await transport;
• Units are transported by truck to lot location and connected on site, exterior and interior finishing is done by local contractors to keep the project on schedule.

Progress Report

There are currently two completed units on the lot in High Level, another unit ready to move, and EDGE Homes is working on the fourth and fifth homes now. Three units are scheduled to be moved to the High Level lot in the Spring of 2025.

EDGE Homes Photo Gallery

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