November 15 marks the beginning of Métis Week, and this year we wanted to highlight the story of a Métis resident that lives in a Calgary Housing home.

Kaylee, a Métis woman from Manitoba, moved to Calgary in 2018. With support from Calgary Housing and her community, she overcame significant challenges and is now able to chart her own path forward.

She was having a hard time, she hadn’t completed high school, she wasn’t in housing and was also struggling in an unhealthy relationship.

Eventually, Kaylee was able to rent a room in a house, but that living situation was inadequate. She found a Calgary Housing residence on RentFaster and moved in with her partner, but troubles in her relationship hit a high. Kaylee was pregnant and the violence from her partner was overwhelming. She decided to move back to Manitoba for family support.

“I was in a low spot when I was pregnant and it all changed,” Kaylee said.

She then got the call while in Manitoba that she was accepted into Calgary Housing, so she moved back to the city, but she made the decision to get back together with her ex. They tried to make it work for eight months, she got pregnant with her second child, but the relationship didn’t work out.

Living alone in Calgary Housing, with a toddler and a baby, Kaylee focused on her educational goals as she needed to provide for her children. She studied to get her high school diploma, supported by a Métis organization.

“If I didn’t have support from the Métis organization and Calgary Housing, I wouldn’t have been able to go back to school,” Kaylee says.

“[Stable housing] has helped me get ahead of my life a ton. It’s been great living in Calgary Housing, everyone who lives here is wonderful. It’s fun for the kids, there is a park here. I enjoy the property,” she adds.

Kaylee didn’t stop with her diploma. She got into the Health Care Aide program at Bow Valley College and was able to access childcare for her children to focus on her studies.

“It was hard [to parent and] focus on schooling, but I managed through it,” she said.

Kaylee was hired instantly after graduation and now works full time.

She has transformed her life, even over the course of the past four years. She wanted to create a better life for her children and now can even see her next career goal of becoming a nurse.

“I feel like a totally different person. Who I was before is not who I am now. I don’t even know that person anymore. I had my struggles, and I never thought I could make it this far, but I did, and I keep going.”