The National Association of Friendship Centres is heralding a new day in its history.
Ottawa has announced it will inject $43 million into the organization over the next two years.
The money is earmarked for the government’s new Urban Aboriginal Strategy, an initiative to be spearheaded by the Friendship Centres across Canada.
The strategy kicks into effect on April 1 and essentially replaces a handful of other programs.
These include the Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth Program. the Youth Canada Works Program, and core money earmarked for the national organization.
Jeffrey Cyr is the executive director of the national office. He says they are well-positioned to help deliver the dollars for programs and services:
“We’ve already been doing this. We have a well-honed expertise in developing partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and community groups in the provinces, too.”
Those sentiments are echoed by Gwen Bear who is the director of the Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan.
She says at this point, though, it’s still a little early to know how it will all work:
“Not that it’s going to all come to the Friendship Centres. It’s going to go into the community. We’re just going to have a part to play there, so we’re really excited about that.”
She adds it’s the most significant funding announcement for her group in 35 years.
However, at least one national Aboriginal leader is not pleased with yesterday’s announcement.
Clem Chartier of the Metis National Council says the Metis were virtually shut out of the strategy, despite previous assurances that they would be included:
“We were told at least a year-and-a-half ago there would be a Metis Nation-specific allocation and we’ve been telling some of our people that, relying on that commitment.”
He doesn’t understand why the government has shifted its focus on one service organization to facilitate the whole program:
“If the Metis want to participate in the program, they’ll have to put in proposals like they did in the past government initiative — but this time they’ll have to apply to the National Association of Friendship Centres and compete with everybody else.”
Chartier says he thought the MNC and the government were in agreement that the Urban Aboriginal Strategy money should be used on economic development opportunities, so yesterday’s announcement comes as a surprise.