Labrador Innu Nation Cultural Facility

The Labrador Innu Nation Cultural Facility project is part of an important pan-Canadian movement to repatriate artifacts belonging to the First Peoples. Over the centuries, these precious artifacts, witnesses to the spiritual and material cultures of the First Peoples, have been scattered around the world’s museums without their authorization. The Labrador Innu Nation Cultural Facility plans to repatriate these artifacts, which are found in the historical collections of the Canadian Museum of History and many other museums. In addition to housing the Innu Nation’s artifacts in an environment at the cutting edge of museum conservation standards, the Cultural Facility will house exhibition, learning and creative spaces, as well as an Innu-run visitor center for Canada’s newest national park, Akamiu-Uapishku, the sacred land of the Innu. This project will give the Labrador Innu Nation an opportunity to rediscover their roots, while working closely with teams committed to creating a building that reflects their image.

The two-storey building will be nested into the slope of the land, gently integrating into the thick forest canopy and thus preserving and enhancing the views of Little Lake. Visitors will discover the “Walking the Nutshimit” trail, both in the outdoor landscape and in the building, with its different themes of objects and artifacts on display, or with work-in-progress visible in the laboratories and offices. The expression of Innu culture will be at the heart of the building’s architectural design. The generous presence of wood will be a central element of this expression.

EVOQ and its team of professionals aim to achieve the BCZ Net Zero standard, a new measure of innovation in sustainable development. Strict control of carbon emissions will be exercised through the implementation of numerous design and construction strategies such as a high-performance thermal building envelope; low-maintenance, sustainable (and locally sourced wherever possible) materials and systems; low-emission energy sources; and agile, responsible site integration.