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The Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS)

What is the UAS?

The Urban Aboriginal Strategy was introduced in 1998 as part of the Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan. This plan was implemented to address the serious socioeconomic needs of urban Aboriginal people. The UAS was designed to improve policy development and program coordination at the federal level and with other levels of government.

The Government of Canada committed $25 million over three years in the 2003 budget for the UAS pilot project. The 2004 budget extended the pilot project to 2006-07, doubled the total budget to $50 million and increased the number of UAS cities from eight to 12. The pilot projects are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Thunder Bay. With the 2004 budget, the pilot projects are now also in Prince George (British Columbia); Lethbridge (Alberta); Prince Albert (Saskatchewan), and Thompson (Manitoba).

Each centre has its own issues and priorities. Vancouver is focused on health, youth, and homelessness & housing; Calgary's focus is on employment, justice, human rights, health, housing and education; Winnipeg's focus is education, housing, poverty and economic development; and Prince George's priorities are Communications and Connections, Employment and Business Development, Health and Healing, Learning, Literacy, Education, and Life Skills and Housing Support.

The Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians is the lead federal minister responsible for the UAS.

The objectives of the UAS Pilot Project Initiative are:

• To respond more effectively to the needs identified by communities using available mechanisms
• To better align federal programs to other government and non-governmental programs in an effort to respond to local priorities
• To test innovative policy and programming ideas
• To gain a better understanding of best practices and how to avoid less effective ways of operating;
• To improve the socio-economic conditions of urban Aboriginal people

What's the WD connection?

WD leads the implementing of the UAS in Vancouver, Prince George, Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Winnipeg and Thompson.

In 2003, the Privy Council Office (PCO) sought and received Treasury Board approval for new UAS program terms and conditions, and access to new funds. Included in the approval is a provision allowing department to direct up to $500 000 per year from their own reference levels to support the mandate of the UAS. WD was the first department to commit to the new provision.

There are no financial implications for WD at this time.

What's been accomplished?

The following table outlines the number of pilot projects and amounts approved during 2004-05.

* Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSD) is responsible for the delivery of the UAS in Saskatchewan.

In addition, seven other projects (one in Alberta and Manitoba, five in BC) were funded by WD from its budget but using UAS horizontal terms and conditions. The projects were provided with a total of $520,000.

What's on the horizon?

There is a growing sense of enthusiasm at the community level regarding the pilot projects and how the lessons learned from them might influence future directions.

Key Contacts:

Alberta

Western Economic Diversification Canada
Suite 1500, Canada Place
9700 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 4H7

Jim Monzer
Telephone: (780) 495-6881

Wendy Stewart-Fagnan
Telephone: (780) 495-5776

British Columbia

Allyson Rowe
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Suite 700, 601 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C V6B 5G9
Telephone: (604) 666-1023

Manitoba

Cynthia Foreman
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Suite 712, 240 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 2L4