Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre opening new location
The provincial government’s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is investing $2 million into the creation of a new space for the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.
The new location will be along Red River road in the north core’s downtown.
The Indigenous Friendship Centre has been around since the 1960’s, providing community services to community members in need.
The centre has been of particular importance for the Indigenous students from northern communities who come to Thunder Bay each year for school.
“You can imagine the type of trauma that a young person must feel when they leave a community like Sandy Lake and places noth, and arrive in Thunder Bay without a support group,” remarks George Pirie, the provincial Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth.
“This provides the support group for those Indigenous youth. It’s critically important,” he adds
Programs offered include children and family services, a food bank, health and wellness programs, cultural programs, and employment and training services.
The friendship centre has worked to find and open a new location for more than a decade.
“We ran out of space a long time ago,” says the centre’s Executive Director, Charlene Baglien.
Baglien says the centre has been forced to cut back on some of its programming due to the limitations.
With the new location, new possibilities will open up.
When it opens, the Red River location will offer several justice-related programs, healing and wellness programs, and literacy and basic skills programs from the old location. It will also offer space for hosting cultural activities.
“We’re hoping to have a teepee here at some point,” Roseanna Hudson, Board President of the friendship centre says.
Hudson has worked at the friendship centre for more than 35 years, and Baglin for 40.
Baglien acknowledges that without provincial funding, it may not have been possible to open the new location.
Hudson and Baglien are hoping the new friendship centre will be ready to open in February.
