NCS eyes centre

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The provincially owned Grierson Centre could become a unique Native institution run by Native Counselling Services of Alberta if all goes to plan, says president Chester Cunningham.

At present the centre is used to house prisoners released from federal institutions who are available for day parole. But if Cunningham has his way, Native Counselling Services will run the institution and current non-Native inmates would be "filtered out into other organizations," says Cunningham, who added there is a "90 per cent chance" that Native Counselling Services will take over the Edmonton based centre.

The services would take over about 40 inmates on day parole but Cunningham says the most exciting part is moving their administration to the centre and possibly converting the west end of the building into a youth centre.

"There is nothing available for young offenders but locking them up. We will not look (at the centre) as a jail but as an attendance centre where young people . . . who are referred to us can benefit from programs . . . instead of being sent to jail," he said.

Cunningham is also framing a series of programs on life skills which will include job readiness, addiction counselling, and Native awareness programs.

The Grierson Centre was once a RCMP barracks and was turned over to the province by the federal government as an exchange agreement.