Indigenous Company Constructs and Delivers Affordable, Eco-Friendly Homes
Working to address an inadequate and unstable housing market, Caribou Mountain
Homes—a subsidiary of the Little Red River Group of Companies—builds cost-effective,
energy-efficient and sustainable homes for northern residents.
Caribou Mountain Homes
In 2019, Little Red River Group (LRRG) acquired a locally owned and operated home manufacturing facility which eventually was re-branded as Caribou Mountain Homes. The goal from the beginning was to develop energy-efficient, sustainable and cost-effective housing solutions for the Far North and Western Canada.
“Our mission is to deliver affordable, quality housing for the Little Red River Cree Nation and communities at large,” said Rob King, Manager of Caribou Mountain Homes. “We serve the whole area. We focus on the Nation, but we are there for everyone who needs us.”
Strategically located on a major transportation route, Highway 58 (east of High Level) Caribou Mountain Homes services multiple Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Northern Alberta, the NWT and other markets in Western Canada.
Offering ready-to-move homes that are both appealing and durable, customers can choose from a wide variety of two-bedroom to eight-bedroom options. Homes can be built entirely in their shop, or built in sections, shipped and set up onsite.
“We can pump out houses fast. On average, it takes about three months to complete a build after ordering, but our goal is always to finish in under six weeks,” said King.
Importantly, Caribou Mountain Homes uses state-of-the-art systems to construct houses built for life in the North.
Caribou Mountain Homes utilizes a variety of innovative building techniques including the use of structurally insulated panels (SIP) to achieve a faster and more environmentally-friendly construction process compared to traditional building methods.
“We also use magnesium oxide sheeting instead of traditional plywood on the exterior of our homes, which makes them more fire resistant, “ said King. “Our area is prone to wildfires, and we want to make sure people, their homes and communities are safe if disaster strikes.”
According to King, building with SIPs reduces heat loss, which lowers energy costs—so some homeowners report spending up to 60% less on heating and cooling.
“These panels are 15 times more airtight than their stick framed counterparts that use fiberglass insulation. Our homes allow for much better control over indoor air quality,” said King. “Using SIPs is a different style of building that often takes more training to do, but it’s a fantastic system to use.”
According to King, builders at the Caribou Mountain Homes housing plant construct structurally-sound, better-insulated homes with less waste.
“We can build any size necessary; it just depends on where we assemble them,” said King. “We can fit two complete units in our shop at a time or customize them and put them together at their final location.”
Offering six different models, clients are free to customize floorplans to suit their needs. Extending top of the line customer care, the staff at Caribou Mountain Homes help their clients from start to finish and provide a warranty program once construction is completed.
“Our goal is to take our time with clients to get the details right from the beginning and to make sure the design and building process goes smoothly for them,” said King. “Our staff often live near homes they build, so they can offer help at any time.”
The team at Caribou Mountain Homes strives to accommodate all customizations, helping build the home of their client’s dreams.
“The most common customizations we see are our solar packages, but we also provide accessibility modifications as well,” said King.
The team at Caribou Mountain Homes is composed of Red Seal and professional tradespeople, ranging from electricians, plumbers and labourers to carpenters and machine operators.
With a combination of new and long-time employees, Caribou Mountain Homes is proud to offer competitive wages, health benefits, a trades program and apprenticeships.
“We’re actively hiring and working on setting up a service division to do more maintenance and renovation type of work,” said King. “This will provide an opportunity to have a dedicated staff help homeowners in the years following their build.”
For King, building homes for local and surrounding communities is essential for economic growth, and having readily available accommodations provides a positive impact on the region.
“With less available housing, it’s important for us to produce homes quickly and alleviate some of the pressure,” said King. “By building more affordable homes we can help boost desirability, employment and allow more people to move here and enjoy living in the North.”
Little Red River Group of Companies
With a mission to encourage economic prosperity through internal and external business developments within the Little Red River Cree Nation, the Little Red River Group of Companies is known for creating and growing profitable business enterprises in the North.
“To help achieve sovereignty and independence for the Nation, we employ best practices, invest wisely, build solid foundations and apply Indigenous perspectives in all of our businesses,” said Jon McQuinn, CEO of the Little Red River Group.
LRRG has successfully built a diverse fleet of multiple companies and partnerships that are poised to support the growth of the Nation for many years to come.
LRRG companies include Nations Translation Group Inc., Caribou Mountain Propane LP, Big Wheels Diesel Repair, Wildland Firefighters, Caribou Mountain Travel Centre, Caribou Mountain Forestry, Little Red River Equipment Rentals Inc., Caribou Mountain Construction and Caribou Mountain Homes.
That Girl Pearl Photography
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