New children's sensory centre is one of a kind in Saskatchewan

Montreal Lake Cree Nation (MLCN) held a grand opening on Friday to celebrate four new facilities aimed at uniting families in the First Nation. The event started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its new child sensory centre.

“The Sensory Learning Centre is designed very much around how our brain is organized,” Stephan Bourassa, a pediatric occupational therapist with the sensory centre told CTV News.

The approximately 2,400-square-foot building is designed to help build developmental skills for children facing adversity, such as poverty or neglect.

“If they weren't allowed to ride a bike, climb trees or go to the beach, this is a place that we can help that child experience those early developmental sensory experiences, that allows your brain to learn and grow and become stronger,” Bourassa said.

Bourassa said the centre can also provide transportation and home visits to make it more accessible to children in the community.

“Stephen and I both worked in numerous remote and Indigenous communities all across Saskatchewan and there's nothing like this,” Dr. Jocelyn Poock, a doctoral psychologist with sensory centre said in an interview with CTV News.

A therapy dog named Frieda will help build relationships for children with trust issues,

A 2,400-square-foot building opened on Montreal Lake Cree Nation and is designed to help build developmental sensory skills for children. (Stacey Hein/CTV News)

“We want that child to be able to have really good relationships with others. Sometimes they're not ready yet. So Frieda plays that role on the course to building that relationship with the therapist,” Bourassa said.

The community is putting a focus on helping both children and their families. A prevention centre that will host addiction counselling and parenting classes is in the works.

“It'll benefit the community by building stronger families. It'll unify everybody together, and it'll bring our community together again,” Levi Nelson, board chair with the Child and Family Agency said.

MLCN also celebrated its new trade centre. The facility is home to a shop where band members can practice carpentry and mechanic skills, and it houses multiple industrial fridges to store food for families in need.

During the grand opening ceremonies band members toured the new Child and Family Agency office.

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“We built it to accommodate our staff. We've grown probably two or three times the size from when I became a board member back in 2018,” Nelson said.

MLCN Chief Joyce McLeod told CTV News the facilities will help the healing process from intergenerational trauma.

“We talk about the drugs, we talk about the addictions, but those are just symptoms. Those are just symptoms because people are hurting,” she said.