Centre celebrates 25 years

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About 250 people were in attendance on Feb. 28 as the Kikinahk Friendship Centre celebrated 25 years of community service with an anniversary banquet.

The gathering celebrated the friendship centre's determination and past success, and looked forward to an even brighter future.

"I admire all of your perseverance for hanging in there and not giving up," wrote former board member David Biblow in a statement read by current president Lloyd Robertson. "I am very impressed to see the facility and the programs today."

Helping youth was what inspired the creation of Kikinahk in the first place in 1976. "The kids were getting into trouble, but it wasn't their fault they were getting into trouble. It was our fault, because we weren't giving them anything to do," said Randy Wells.

That all changed when Wells, a former rehab counsellor, joined forces with Biblow, who was working as a probation officer, nutritionist Debra Gillis, legal secretary Maureen Myers, Legal Aid lawyer Tim Quigley and judge Claude Fafard. The group formed a drop-in centre in a vacant house owned by the Department of Northern Saskatchewan. Marcel L'Heureux of DNS also approved a $5,000 start-up grant.

Serving La Ronge and district, Kikinahk's clientele is a mixture of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. Through the years, Kikinahk has changed location several times, and expanded its mandate to social problems beyond simply those of bored youth. It experienced many low points when it seemed the centre would fold-at one point, it was years behind in mortgage payments and property taxes-but someone always scraped to keep the centre alive.

Gradually, programs such as Teen Parent and Family Service began attracting more clients. The hostel was renovated to make room for an Aboriginal Head Start pre-school program. Government funding was secured from several sources. Mortgage and tax payments resumed.

Today, Kikinahk is a hive of activity, bursting at the seams with people and programs, and operating with a surplus. The centre has now begun construction of another wing, which will be home to a new youth crisis shelter, funded through a federal program to combat homelessness.

Churchill River MP Rick Laliberte was on hand for the anniversary celebrations, where he officially announced the federal funding for the crisis shelter-four bedrooms and a kitchen that will be used to house young people at risk of becoming homeless.

Laliberte also took the opportunity to recognize that Kikinahk was the result of local leadership and hard work.

"It wasn't an envelope that came from Ottawa that granted you a friendship centre . . . you built it, from nothing," said Laliberte, who recalled visiting Kikinahk many times as a young person, a school trustee, and an MP.

"I was absolutely amazed that Kikinahk is heading back to the youth," said Wells, referring to the new crisis shelter. He spoke about the citizens who gave support to the centre in the early years, from Social Services manager Hugh Parsons to volunteer artist Chris Lee.

Wells has not been involved for years now, but he urged audience members, particularly young ones, to consider how they can contribute to the centre.