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For Release
August 11, 2005

Federal Government Partners with Communities to Implement the Urban Aboriginal Strategy

Edmonton, Alberta – The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport), on behalf of the Honourable Andy Scott, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and lead Minister for the Government of Canada's Urban Aboriginal Strategy, today announced the implementation of the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) through the federal government's partnerships with communities in three Alberta cities.

Through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), the Government of Canada is investing $3.36 million in UAS funding to Edmonton, which is being administered through the community-based Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF). In Calgary, $3.28 million is being delivered through a community-driven initiative called the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI). In Lethbridge, $950,000 in UAS funds will be delivered through the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge, a local community entity.

"The Government of Canada is committed to working with our partners in other orders of government and in communities to improve the quality of life for urban Aboriginal people. Through the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, we have strengthened partnerships and supported initiatives," said the Honourable Andy Scott, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. " Canada's growing urban Aboriginal population can and must play a key role in addressing local priorities and finding solutions to make our cities and our country more vibrant and prosperous. "

"Partnership is at the heart of everything we do at Western Economic Diversification Canada. Our involvement in the Urban Aboriginal Strategy recognizes the importance of the urban Aboriginal community to the economic and social prosperity of western Canada," said Minister Owen. "Through the UAS, the Government of Canada is working with community organizations and with all levels of government to build vibrant and sustainable communities."

Provincial government departments will use existing program funds to partner on specific UAS pilot projects and capacity building initiatives.

"Alberta's vision is driven by the Aboriginal Policy Framework, which emphasizes collaboration and partnership among Aboriginal people, industry, government and other interested parties to improve the self-reliance of Aboriginal people and communities," said Alberta Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Pearl Calahasen. "This partnership acknowledges our commitment to unlocking the future of Alberta's urban Aboriginal community by addressing local priorities through local solutions."

The UAS approach recognizes that governments and the communities they serve need to work together to address urban Aboriginal issues. It also recognizes that local communities are best placed to develop local solutions that meet their unique challenges and needs, which is why a city-specific approach to implementation is being taken in each of the three cities. Examples of community priorities currently being addressed in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge via pilot projects and capacity building include improving housing, childcare, overall health and nutrition, education, employment training, and transition assistance into urban living.

"The Trust Fund is extremely proud to be a partner in the delivery of the Urban Aboriginal Strategy," said Edmonton Housing Trust Fund Chair Carol Murray. "The Trust Fund will work to ensure the process of approving applications is community-driven and addresses the challenges facing urban Aboriginal people in Edmonton. An Aboriginal Application Review Committee, made up of Aboriginal people, and an Aboriginal Project Officer will make this a reality."

"The City of Edmonton recognizes that the solutions to the challenges facing the urban Aboriginal community go beyond traditional programming," said Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel. "We believe that unique partnerships such as the Government of Canada's Urban Aboriginal Strategy are needed to bring innovative solutions to reality."

"The Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative is focused on facilitating collaborations in order to fill gaps in service and systems access for Aboriginal people in our city, and we're equally committed to ensuring that projects being funded through our Collaborative Granting Process (CGP) will have long-term, sustainable benefits for the community," said Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative Director Barbara Milmine. "Through the federal investment in the UAS, and the pilot projects it will generate through participation in the CGP, we will make a positive contribution to the lives of Aboriginal Calgarians."

"The Urban Aboriginal Strategy promises to have a major impact on Aboriginal people living in Calgary," said Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier. "By working in partnership with local stakeholders and shaping the initiative to fit local needs, the federal government's UAS investment in Alberta is set to a make tangible and long-term difference in the lives of many in our community."

"Aboriginal people in Lethbridge have a long history of working together to build consensus, capacity and partnerships, not only within the Aboriginal community but also with stakeholders from municipal, provincial and federal governments," said Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge President Darrell Smith. "Federal funding for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy will help the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge continue their work and allow them to take their ideas in new directions that will meet the specific needs of the urban Aboriginal community."

"The Government of Canada funding for the partnership between the City of Lethbridge and the urban Aboriginal community is welcome news indeed," said Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck, Ako'Tasi. "This funding will enable the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge to enact programs that will remove the barriers the urban Aboriginal community faces in seeking employment, accessing government and community programs, dealing with health issues and building better families."

The Urban Aboriginal Strategy in these three cities is intended to test new ideas on how to better respond, through partnership, to the local needs of urban Aboriginal people. Through these initiatives, federal and provincial officials will work with community and Aboriginal organizations to co-develop innovative solutions to address local priorities that cannot be undertaken through existing programs. The lessons learned from these pilot projects will help the Government of Canada determine how to address urban Aboriginal issues in the longer term.

The UAS is a Government of Canada initiative that involves a number of departments and crown corporations, including: Western Economic Diversification Canada, Office of the Federal Interlocutor, Human Resources Development Canada, Canadian Heritage, Health Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Justice Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, and Industry Canada - Aboriginal Business Canada.

Funding for this initiative was provided for in Budget 2005.

For additional information, contact:

Backgrounder

Urban Aboriginal Strategy

The Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) in Alberta will test new ideas on how to better respond, through partnership, to the local needs of urban Aboriginal people. Through these initiatives, federal and provincial officials will work with communities and Aboriginal organizations to co-develop innovative solutions to address local urban Aboriginal priorities that cannot be undertaken through existing programs.

Three cities have been identified for pilot-project funding in Alberta: Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. Implementation of the Government of Canada UAS investment will take a unique course in each city-a course that depends upon the priorities identified and stakeholders involved within each individual community.

As the UAS lead department in Alberta, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) is responsible for UAS pilot project approval, contribution agreement preparation and monitoring.

In Edmonton and Lethbridge, WD is working with a local delivery agent; in Edmonton, the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) and in Lethbridge, the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge (ACL). These delivery agents are responsible for developing community plans that set out the urban Aboriginal community's priorities and needs in their respective cities. Based on these plans, the EHTF and ACL have the responsibility for negotiating, contracting and monitoring the pilot projects in their respective cities.

In Calgary, federal officials and the urban Aboriginal community are working in partnership using a joint selection and decision-making process for the delivery of UAS pilot project dollars, based on a community plan for Calgary.

Edmonton
Total investment: $3.36 million

The Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) is a community-based organization that is the community-entity delivering UAS funding. The organization's existing granting structure, combined with the guidance from an Aboriginal Application Review Committee (made up of Aboriginal community members) and a full-time Aboriginal Project Officer, is designed to ensure a transparent, community-driven process for administering the UAS funds. The EHTF provides for the delivery of UAS funds to successful proponents based upon the eligible funding criteria established for the UAS.

Through this process, the UAS pilot projects in Edmonton are supported using recommendations specific to the urban Aboriginal community identified in the Edmonton Community Plan on Housing and Support Services 2005 – 2009. Projects that address urban Aboriginal issues confronting children, youth and families are being given priority.

Calgary
Total investment: $3.28 million

In Calgary, the UAS is delivered using the shared-delivery model, via the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI).  This Aboriginal community-driven initiative addresses urban Aboriginal issues via a series of "domains" (groups focusing on specific issue areas such as housing, health, justice, employment and education, services and human rights), that are coordinated by the CUAI Committee. The first UAS pilot project was for the development of a collaborative funding model, piloted in the fall of 2002. The objective of the Collaborative Granting Process (CGP) project has been to prioritize investment in community-driven projects.

The UAS is one of the potential funding streams to finance projects submitted to the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative's Collaborative Granting Process.  The priority areas for the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative Plan include: education, employment, services, health, housing, justice and human rights.

Lethbridge
Total investment: $950,000

In Lethbridge, the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge (ACL) is leading the UAS using the community-entity model. The ACL is an assembly of urban Aboriginal people who have been meeting on various urban community issues for the past twenty years. The community-entity approach provides opportunity for Aboriginal people to enhance their own capacity in finding their own solutions to urban socio-economic challenges in Lethbridge, while at the same time, strengthening relationships with key stakeholders.

Priorities for the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge Association Community Plan include the following: employment development, education, transition support services, and maintaining and strengthening culture.