Pic Mobert cultural centre
By Rick Garrick
MOBERT—The grand opening of Pic Mobert’s new Cultural Centre featured the recognition of a former trading post master who assisted community members by extending credit for food.
“I want to thank Stan Petten for his contribution in helping us,” says Pic Mobert Deputy Chief Johanna Desmoulin, noting he recently passed away.
“I know for a fact that if it wasn’t for him, we would have starved as a people. He had to give us side accounts to survive the month. I just remember him from the bottom of my heart. That’s who I remember today,” continued Desmoulin.
The Cultural Centre was built in Petten’s former trading post and home, which is located on the shore of White Lake. Petten married a Pic Mobert citizen and raised his family in the community. Some of his children currently work for the band.
“So this building actually is a part of who we are,” Desmoulin says.
Pic Mobert celebrated the grand opening of the 1,200 square-foot Cultural Centre on June 21. The renovated building was completed last fall through a $147,600 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.
“It’s instilling that pride and empowering our people,” Desmoulin says, adding that the community has been embracing their culture “more than ever” since the Cultural Centre opened. “A lot of it has to do with drumming for our young people, women’s healing and wellness, whether that is moon ceremonies or just arts and crafts. And just having gatherings like this. One day we had a community clean up and this is (where) we gathered.”
Angel Desmoulin says a Ladies Night Out group usually gets together once every month for nails or facials in the Cultural Centre.
“One time we made a fabric bulletin board and made it very beautiful,” Angel says. “And every Wednesday is a women’s group, a healing group.”
Tara Jacobs also enjoys using the Cultural Centre for a variety of activities.
“We do moon ceremonies, drum teachings, regalia making,” Jacobs says. “It’s beautiful inside, it’s cozy inside. It’s a safe place.”
Pic Mobert Director of Operations, Elaine Stewart, says the Cultural Centre is used about three-to-four times a week for a variety of activities, including traditional events, drum groups and a children’s play group.
“The building is original; they had to put the deck on when they renovated,” Stewart says. “It was so old that it was actually all shiplap once we took it down to the frame.”
The Cultural Centre features a main area, a smaller sitting room, a full kitchen, an office, a small storage room and a bathroom.
“They do a lot of small catered events in here,” Stewart says. “We also have a washer and dryer hidden away too.”
The renovations included new roofing, new flooring, new wiring, new windows, new bathroom and plumbing, new insulation, a new septic system and an HRV unit.
“It will have potable water as soon as it gets hooked up,” says Roger Rozon, Technical Service Advisor for Nokiiwin Tribal Council.
Pic Mobert also celebrated the opening of a water treatment plant and the signing of a Land and Larger Land Base agreement on June 21.