Discussions around improving programs, education and bringing a greater awareness of culture and history to the forefront were just some of the topics touched on during a series of regional meetings held by Bonnyville Canadian Native Friendship Centre over the past few months.
The local Friendship Centre, in part with the Alberta Native Friendship Centre, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and the Alberta Aboriginal Relations, held consultations sessions in the community as part of a national strategic plan.
“The purpose is to engage and collect information from a wide array of stakeholders and use it to inform the design of the Alberta regional plan,” said Lauri Fitzpatrick, executive director of the Bonnyville Friendship Centre.
Bonnyville was selected as a regional centre and hosted the meeting for their zone with representatives from Lac La Biche, Athabasca and St. Paul coming down.
“It was a way for us to involve the community to develop these plans,” said Fitzpatrick, who noted that several federal and provincial reps along with a facilitator led the event.
“We talked about having an understanding of (aboriginal) history, more cultural awareness, youth involvement and multi-cultural training. We want to run programs and get more people aware of the history behind Aboriginal Peoples.”
These discussions and brainstorming sessions were held at several of the 20 friendship centres in the province and others across Canada.
The goal is to create an improved Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) and stems from an announcement made back in February 2014. Bernard Valcourt, who was the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development at the time, vowed to update the UAS to try and increase economic participation of urban Aboriginal Peoples.
“The Government of Canada recognizes the crucial role that urban aboriginal organizations play in Canada and the important services that they provide,” said Valcourt. “Our government is committed to support the participation of Aboriginal people in the Canadian economy. The improved UAS will result in the availability of more funding for program participants.”
A total of $86 million over the course of 2014 and 2015 was committed to help fund programs for Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.
The government has changed since this announcement resulting in the process changing slightly and seeing more public consultations take place.
Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewksi was apart of three consultations held by the local Friendship Centre, along with several other municipal politicians.
“Some really good topics came up. It was a really good discussion in terms of raising the awareness to some of the issue we are dealing with in regards to education and homelessness,” said Sobolewski.
“At the local level it was fantastic, but seeing how the process is going to evolve and how it is eventually going to end up in Ottawa was something that was very quickly recognized; Ottawa plays a huge role in all of this.”
Notes and ideas collected in Bonnyville were submitted and the Friendship Centre is now waiting on the official report to be released. Once the report comes out the centre is hoping to find out what the next steps in the process will be.
