Alberta Throne Speech Supports Friendship Centres Investment to Urban Aboriginal Communities

Press Release

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (November 21, 2014) – The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is pleased with the inclusion of the Friendship Centre Movement’s important work in the Government of Alberta’s Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant Governor Donald Ethell on November 17.

“We are glad to see the Friendship Centre Movement’s work in improving the lives of urban Aboriginal people valued by the Albertan government,” says Nelson Mayer, President of the NAFC. “This demonstrates that this government is making urban Aboriginal people a priority.”

The Speech from the Throne promised specific initiatives aimed at improving First Nations, Inuit and Métis education as well as a focus on being better partners to Aboriginal communities, rural and urban.

In an interview following the speech, Premier Jim Prentice noted that Edmonton will soon have the highest urban Aboriginal population in Canada. Being so, the throne speech recognizes the challenges faced by Aboriginal people when transitioning to urban centres and states that Alberta will work with Aboriginal communities along with Aboriginal organizations and federal and municipal governments to develop and support initiatives to help ease the way into city life for Aboriginal people. Work largely done by the Friendship Centre Movement, David Dorward, Associate Minister for Aboriginal Relations, recognized that Friendship Centres may be insufficiently funded for all that they do.

“These are continued steps in the right direction under the Alberta government’s urban Aboriginal agenda and our National Association as well as the Alberta Native Friendship Centre Association (ANFCA) will continue to work with them in support of these positive initiatives”, concludes Jeffrey Cyr, Executive Director of the NAFC.

The NAFC represents a network of 117 Aboriginal Friendship Centres across Canada that have been providing vital services in urban areas for over 50 years. Friendship Centres are the primary providers of culturally enhanced programs and services to urban Aboriginal people. They deliver on average 1,439 programs to over 2.3 million people including status and non-status First Nations, Métis, Inuit and non-Aboriginal people.

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For more information contact:

Alysha Akoodie, NAFC Communications & Social Media Officer
Phone: 613-563-4844 ext. 320
E-mail: aakoodie@nafc.ca

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