Community centre will serve Saskatoon's inner city

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Native leaders, politicians, health experts and community service workers say the planned opening of an 11,000 square foot community centre in one of Saskatoon's poorest neighborhoods will provide a major boost for inner-city families who lack access to proper health care and recreational facilities.

"I'm very excited about this project," said Saskatchewan's Associate Health Minister Judy Junor, one of many dignitaries on hand to announce the project last month. "It's going to make a big difference in the lives of the children who live in this area."

The health centre will be established in a vacant supermarket located on 20th Street, in the heart of Saskatoon's inner-city area.

The building has already been purchased and renovations could be finished by September. When it's completed, the facility will include a gymnasium, a medical clinic and a child-care centre. It will also offer education and counselling services and will focus on healthy lifestyles and cultural awareness in an attempt to help inner-city families live better and more fulfilling lives.

The project, announced at a news conference Feb. 7, will operate on an annual budget of more than $700,000 with contributions coming from the Saskatoon Tribal Council ($400,000), Saskatchewan Health ($196,000), the City of Saskatoon ($100,000), and Saskatoon District Health ($25,000).

The Saskatoon health district will also provide staff for the facility. The exact number of staff has yet to be determined but the centre will include counsellors, recreational therapists, addictions experts and health care workers.

Staff at the facility will also provide referrals to other services in Saskatoon and will offer educational courses in a variety of disciplines from cooking to parenting to dental hygiene.

The centre will be open day and night. Exact hours have yet to be finalized.

Organizers from the Saskatoon Tribal Council say a youth advisory committee will also be formed to give young people a say in how the centre is run and what programs are offered.

Cultural activities such as traditional Native dancing will play a key role in the facility and will give Native youth a sense of ownership and belonging, said STC representative Cal Arcand.

All services and activities at the centre will be offered free of charge, giving low-income families access to services that might otherwise be out of reach.

George Lafond, vice-chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, said establishing facilities to serve inner-city families is a crucial step in ensuring the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.

Lafond referred to the province's burgeoning Aboriginal population which, according to some demographic studies, will account for 35 per cent of the province's total population within the next 40 years.

"We can make this work," said Lafond, stressing the need for partnerships and co-operation between Native and non-Native groups.

"If we don't . . . we will pay for the consequences in the future."

Saskatoon Mayor Henry Dayday praised the organizations involved in the project, suggesting the centre will build hope and opportunity for some of Saskatoon's least privileged residents.

Dayday said the initiative would serve as a model for future projects in Saskatoon and in other cities across the country.

Saskatoon Health Board Chairman Bob Bundon said the need for preventive health services in the city continues to grow.

There will always be a demand for more spending on hospital care and institutional services, Bundon said, but there must be a balance between that and preventive programs.