Funding announced for friendship centres

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The Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres (OFIFC) will be receiving $1 million from the province to help pay for renovations to 23 friendship centres across Ontario.

"Friendship centres are very important as they are often the first point of contact for Aboriginal people arriving in urban centres," David Ramsay, the minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, said during his announcement of the funding on April 28."This investment will help the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres enhance their programs and services to better serve growing urban Aboriginal communities."

Amounts ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 have been allocated to the Atikokan Friendship Centre, the Barrie Friendship Centre, the Dryden Friendship Centre, the Fort Erie Friendship Centre, the Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre in Midland, the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre, the Indian Friendship Centre in Sault Ste. Marie and the Ininew Friendship Centre in Cochrane. The Kapuskasking Friendship Centre, the Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre in Kingston, the Moosonee Native Friendship Centre, the M'Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre in Owen Sound, the N'Amerind Friendship Centre in London, the Ne'Chee Friendship Centre in Kenora, the Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre in Sioux Lookout and the North Bay Indian Friendship Centre will also benefit from the announcement. Rounding out the list of funding recipients are the N'Swakamok Friendship Centre in Sudbury, the Odawa Native Friendship Centre in Ottawa, the Parry Sound Friendship Centre, the Thunder Bay Indian Youth Friendship Centre, the Thunderbird Friendship Centre in Geraldton, the Timmins Native Friendship Centre and the United Native Friendship Centre in Fort Frances.

"The Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres is pleased to receive this capital grant toward renovation of a number of our centres," said OFIFC president David Martin. "This will permit the centres to better respond to the needs of Aboriginal people in urban centres."