Man works long day at Toronto friendship centre

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Jimmy Dick phones a sponsor to see if they will help fund another event at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.

This time he's telling them about the Toronto Festival of Storytelling, scheduled for March 26 to April 4.

He is also working on getting storytellers for the event, which is touted as one of North America's oldest and largest storytelling celebrations.

The smile on his face as he hangs up the phone tells the story of the conversation that just took place.

The two-person cultural staff in a cramped second-floor office relies on volunteers from the community to assist them. "When people get involved it makes it a lot easier for me," Dick said.

The 46-year-old Swampy Cree man from Moose Factory in James Bay took over the job in 1997 as cultural co-ordinator, and he has helped to create many programs for the cultural department.

Dick is a dedicated worker who arrives early in the morning and stays until the centre closes at 8 p.m. "I love it," he said.

He started the Visiting Elders' Program in his first year at the friendship centre and got Ben Weenie from Saskatchewan to come in and speak to community members in Toronto. The program pays travelling expenses for Elders to come to the centre from all over North America.

Then he arranged for community members to attend a Sundance ceremony on a reserve in Manitoba.

"Most of the people who went still follow the Sundance ceremony,' he said.

The biggest event he ever co-ordinated took place three years ago when the centre hosted the raising of the eagle staff ceremony for more than 500 people.

"The overall goal of our cultural program is the promotion of the community at all levels-mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual," said Dick. "Another goal is to foster a sense of community and unity within the Aboriginal population."

The cultural program achieves that by delivering programs throughout the year, including sharing circles, drum circles, sweat lodge and sunrise ceremonies, Ojibwa language classes, arts and crafts classes, men's and women's hand drumming and many other events.

"We get people to socialize," said the soft-spoken man with the ponytail.

Sherry Meawasige, the recently hired cultural assistant co-ordinator, said she has acquired new skills since starting her employment.

Meawasige, from the Serpent River First Nation, does the administration work for the program.

The cultural program receives funding from the Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training organization, the city of Toronto and Heritage Canada.

For more information about the program contact Dick or Meawasige at (416) 964-9087.