New Brunswicker to receive award from Governor General

A New Brunswick man is on his way to Ottawa to receive aGovernor General's Award for outstanding Indigenous leadership for building a place of refuge for people who need some time alone.

Percy Sacobie, a teacher and band councillor on the St. Mary's First Nation, built a lodge this past winter in the woods behind his mother's house on the reserve.

He said that after he receives the award, it will hang on the wall of the lodge as a reminder of the importance of places like it.

"It feels good for myself and the people that helped me build the lodge," he said onCBC'sInformation Morning Fredericton.

"It also feels good to have the lodge itself recognized."

The Meritorious Service Medal will be given to Sacobiein a ceremony on Monday.

The cabin is outfitted with coffee, books and recliners for people staying there, but the connection to nature is ever-present.

"If you open the window you can hear the songbirds," he said.

Sacobie said the space will be available to those who need it whenever they need it and he will check in on people in the morning and evening to make sure they're OK.

He added that a caretaker will also be there when he isn't around.

'Going through hard times'

Sacobie said he built the cabin because he wanted to provide a space for people who are going through a difficult periodin their lives.

"This lodge is a temporary place for people to go if they need a break, if they need a mental break, if they're going through hard times," he said.

"People go through losses in different ways, some people could be depressed about the loss of an animal, a job, boyfriend, girlfriend, divorce, a sibling might pass away, so that's what this is for."

"This is a temporary place for people where they can come here, reflect and be by themselves."

Sacobie said that people dealing with loss have different ways of dealing with it, and he recognized that sometimes means using drugs or alcohol.

"If people are in those conditions they're more than welcome to come here, as long as they don't do it here," he said.

Sacobie saidthere is still work to be done finding assistance for people who need longer-term help.

'Try to help people'

There are personal reasons behind why Sacobie built the lodge. Sacobie'sbrother took his own life in 2015 when he was going through a difficult time.

"After that, I wanted to make a place to help prevent people from taking their own lives, and also try to help people who are depressed," said Sacobie.

"When you lose a person in a tragic way, or anyway in general, it's nice to have a little place to go if need be."

"I just built a cabin with the hopes that it will help somebody.I may not know who they are, but I may help them."