As the world mourns the death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, his mark on Alberta’s capital is being remembered.
An affordable townhouse complex in southeast Edmonton is named after Carter, marking the time he and his wife Rosalynn helped build the homes in 2017 with Habitat for Humanity.
“He showed up every day on those work sites, ready to work,” said Ann-Marie Reddy, the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity. Reddy says she unfortunately didn’t get to work with the former president and first lady.
“He was really there to put his time in and work alongside the volunteers that showed up.”
CityNews was there when the former president, who was 92 years old at the time, spoke to media about why he and his wife kept building long into old age.
“One of the things that keeps us coming back is we get more out of it than we put it into it,” Carter said in 2017. “We put a lot of sweat and work into it. It’s very hard work sometimes and challenging. But we’ve never been to a project where we didn’t come home and say, ‘that was the most wonderful experience we’ve ever had.’”
The Carters’ work with Habitat for Humanity made his name synonymous with the organization, although he didn’t create it.
“I still today meet people who firmly believe that President Carter started Habitat for Humanity; that just goes to show how much of an impact he had,” Reddy said.
While the world remembers a president who dedicated his post-White House career to public service, Reddy says the man’s legacy will live on in housing projects like the one in Edmonton, and others across the world.
“He knew the impact that a home was more than just a home; it created a sense of safety and stability for individuals,” Reddy said. “It also created generational change for children who grew up in a safe home.”
