North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre upgrades services with Trillium Grant
By Kelly Anne Smith
NORTH BAY—The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre is expanding their crucial services for the public with a $43,900 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The president of the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, Katherine Sarazin, made the announcement along with Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli at a media conference on April 20.
The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre now employs six workers in a newly acquired building right next to the centre.
“A majority of the workers help the homeless in the community. We have criminal court workers and mental health workers housed in there. As of Wednesday [April 18], we have over 300 who are homeless in North Bay.”
Workers from the centre make connections for people who are in a crisis situation with landlords and motels.
Sarazin talked of the many people who need basic supplies. She said homelessness of families and individuals is a chronic issue that is just now being recognized. When the repairs are done, there will be access to proper storage for immediate necessities to provide to people who are without a home.
The Trillium grant will be applied over five months to fund mould removal fixes to the new building. The foundation will be repaired and a HVAC system will be purchased and installed. The building has been open since April last year.
The centre provides services to urban and rural First Nation, Inuit, Métis and non-Indigenous people. Many programs are offered including the Suswin Housing First Program, a 12-hour program which helps to find a rental or references. About 600 people access the various services at the North Bay Indian Friendship Centre.
The big sign on the main building has a noticeable change and there is a new sign on the building next door and there are signs on the property across the street.
Executive Director Kathy Fortin is pleased the corporate name change from Indian to Indigenous is reflected on the signboard. Now Fortin is ready to help put a roof over the city’s homeless by developing the vacant land directly across from the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.
An application was turned down by the Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services which focuses on providing safe and affordable off-reserve housing to urban and rural First Nation, Inuit and Métis people.
Fortin says advocates have stepped up to help with an appeal.
“We were originally turned down and now we are appealing. We should hear shortly, by the end of the month. There is always hope. We have people advocating for us. It’s been a dream of ours.”
The application includes operating and capital costs for the proposed building of 30 units.