CMH Redevelopment project receives traditional blessing

The sounds of Indigenous drumming and song carried throughout the construction site of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) Redevelopment Project Friday morning, April 4, as a traditional smudging ceremony took place.

In all, about 48,000 square feet of space over three floors of the Phase 1 construction site was blessed with a sage, cedar and juniper smudge and water. Construction paused to allow Nation partners to complete this important work.

Valerie West of Williams Lake First Nation was on hand for the blessing and said the feeling of being included in the CMH Redevelopment Project as meaningful partners was hard to describe.

Photo left: Frederick Johnson uses a mixture of sage, juniper and cedar to smudge construction areas in the new tower at CMH.
Photo right: Valerie West of Williams Lake First Nation drums and sings during the traditional blessing.

“It’s been life-changing,” said Valerie, who, along with others on site, were thrilled to learn the cultural practice of smudging will be able to take place in all but two rooms in redevelopment.

Frederick Johnson, who also assisted with the smudging along with Jacinta Sampson, Cecil Grinder, Danikka Murphy and William Lulua, said being able to bless out any negative emotions, fear or uncertainty “is going to be better overall for all the workers and the patients, everyone.”

As part of the CMH Redevelopment Project in Williams Lake, Interior Health has been engaging with Nation Partners and Indigenous communities who access the site.

A key takeaway from these conversations has been the importance of smudging the new tower before construction is complete to bring blessings and good medicine into the space.

With construction underway, it's important to honour this direction from community voices. Interior Health will continue to work alongside the Indigenous communities surrounding Williams Lake as the project progresses to meaningfully integrate representation that supports cultural safety with the aim of improving access to care.

Photo caption: (L-R) Danikka Murphy, William Lulua, and Dusty Phillips used smudging and water to bless the construction site at CMH April 4 during a ceremony which included Indigenous drumming and singing.