Friendship Centres across BC to benefit from additional provincial funding

British Columbia's Friendship Centres will be receiving more stable
funding from the Province following an announcement today in Victoria

British Columbia's 25 Aboriginal Friendship Centres are about to receive an additional stream of funding from the Province of British Columbia, with an announcement today highlighting $6.45 million more in financial assistance over the next three years, designed to help deliver services in their communities.

The roll out of the funding announcement came from Scott Fraser, the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, who made note of the vital role that the Centres play in the province.

“For the first time ever, friendship centres will have stable funding, thanks to this investment that is more than tripling previous financial support,” ... “Every friendship centre is unique in serving the needs of communities at a local level, but they all play a vital role supporting urban Indigenous peoples, many of whom live far from their home communities.”

How the funding will be used will be decided by the local Friendship Centres in the province, but the theme of the announcement suggests that such areas training programs and pursuing economic development opportunities may be high on  the list of  items that will be explored.

Melanie Mark, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and a former resident of the Northwest outlined how the funding will help Friendship Centres in their efforts

“Indigenous peoples living in urban areas have been left out when we talk about the needs of Indigenous communities,”  ...  “This new dedicated funding will allow for longer-term planning, instead of short-term solutions, to the complex and pressing issues facing urban Indigenous peoples in British Columbia. We’re continuing to advance on our commitment of reconciliation, and improve the delivery of services that thousands of Indigenous peoples count on."

You can learn more about today's announcement here.

In Prince Rupert, the Friendship Centre offers a range of programs and services through its offices on Fraser Street in the downtown core of the city.

For more background on their work see their website or  Facebook page here.

Further items of note from Victoria can be reviewed from our Legislature archive page here.


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