April 14, 2004

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REGINA, SK – The North Central Family Centre (NCFC) will soon begin construction of a new expanded facility, thanks to funding by the Government of Canada, the City of Regina, and significant financial and in-kind support from the community and private sector.

The Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for Homelessness today announced funding under two key Government of Canada initiatives to support the construction and operation of the new centre. Also participating in today’s announcement was Mayor Pat Fiacco, City of Regina, Sandy Wankel, North Central Family Centre, Ken McDougall, CONEXUS Credit Union, Sandy Wilson, SaskTel Pioneers Prairie Council and Dan Bergen, Farm Credit Canada.

The NCFC will receive $485,000 in Government of Canada funding, including $275,000 through the Urban Aboriginal Homelessness component of the National Homelessness Initiative (NHI) to support construction costs, and $210,000 through the Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) to strengthen its business planning and organizational capacity.

“The challenges facing inner city communities can only be addressed if we all work together – governments, the community and private sector partners,” said Minister Bradshaw. “Today’s announcement of funding for the North Central Family Centre through both the National Homelessness Initiative and the Urban Aboriginal Strategy is a clear example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to bring as many of our resources to bear as possible to support Regina’s inner city.” Minister Bradshaw announced funding under the Urban Aboriginal Strategy on behalf of the Honourable Denis Coderre, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and lead Minister for the Government of Canada’s Urban Aboriginal Strategy.

The NCFC offers over 45 programs targeting education, job placement, personal and family counseling, parenting skills, sports and recreation and social and cultural activities free of charge to children, youth, families and seniors living in Regina’s inner city.

“The support of the federal government means a great deal to Regina's inner city communities. This centre will provide the services that the people of the North Central area, young and old, need to improve their lives and become more productive citizens of our community” said Mayor Pat Fiacco. “Thanks also go to the private sector sponsors who are helping to make this project possible.”

“Armed with exciting quality programs and a new building we will be able to offer more residents of Regina's North Central the opportunity to succeed, to enlarge their ambitions and to pursue their dreams.” said Sandy Wankel Executive Director, North Central Family Centre. “Our hope is to make our community stronger, our lives richer and the future brighter for everyone. These goals are within our grasp. A community as great as ours should reach them.”

The NCFC received strong support from community organizations and the private sector toward the creation of the new centre, including cash contributions of $57,000 and in-kind contributions of $128,973. “CONEXUS is a part of this project due to the dedication of the staff, Sandi and Ivan and their volunteer leader Stu, in their commitment to make a difference in the lives of the people who live in this neighborhood,” said Ken McDougall, Executive Vice President Marketing, CONEXUS Credit Union. CONEXUS purchased the land on which the new facility will be built, a contribution of $33,000 in value.

“The SaskTel Pioneers feel that this project is extremely important to the development of North Central Regina.” said Sandy Wilson, Vice President Community Services, SaskTel Pioneers Prairie Council. “We are happy to contribute to its overall success.” Through the purchase of building materials, volunteer labour, and donations, SaskTel Pioneers is contributing over $27,000 to the project.

“The new community kitchen at the North Central Family Centre will do more than feed people who are hungry. It will teach parents and children about nutrition and basic food preparation while reaching into the homes of shut-ins and seniors in the neighborhood,” said Dan Bergen, Vice President, Prairie Lending Operations, Farm Credit Canada. “Farm Credit Canada is committed to supporting projects like this, in Regina and in rural and urban centres across the country. We believe that promoting greater awareness of food-related issues contributes to the long-term success of Canada's communities and Canadian agriculture.” Farm Credit Canada is outfitting an industrial-style kitchen for the new facility, a contribution of $17,000 in value.

On average, 120-130 inner city Reginans use the centre each day, about half of whom are children under the age of 15. The individuals who access NCFC services face a variety of economic and social challenges, including prostitution, street violence and drug abuse, placing residents at higher risk of being or becoming homeless than most Reginans. The NCFC is the first project to receive NHI funding under the updated Regina Community Plan on Homelessness. Through the updated Community Plan, the NHI will invest almost $3.5 million over the next three years to support the community in addressing homelessness and the root causes of homelessness. Implementation of the updated Community Plan is being led by the Regina Homelessness Committee to address the priority areas of transitional, supportive and preventative services by focusing on building the capacity of the community and ensuring the necessary support services exist for the homeless or at-risk population.

The Government of Canada launched the NHI in December 1999 to support communities’ efforts to help Canadians out of homelessness. Over $1 billion is being spent towards the federal government’s commitment to addressing homelessness in Canada. Since the NHI was launched, the Government of Canada has invested over $14 million through more than 80 projects to address homelessness in Saskatchewan.

By working in partnership with community organizations, the private and voluntary sectors and other levels of government, the National Homelessness Initiative is bringing all stakeholders together to develop local solutions that work to address particular needs and challenges faced by homeless people.

The Government of Canada launched the UAS in 1998 to coordinate efforts to address issues facing urban Aboriginal Canadians. The 2003 Budget announced $25 million for three years to enhance the UAS through innovative multi-partner pilot projects in eight cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Thunder Bay. The 2004 Budget extended the UAS to 2006-2007 and committed an additional $25 million over three years, doubling the total UAS budget to $50 million.

Pilot project investments under the UAS to support the community’s efforts to better address the needs of Aboriginal people living in Regina are being led by the Regina Inner City Community Partnership (RICCP), a community-based partnership dedicated to the renewal of Regina’s inner city through a process that engages neighbourhood residents and organizations in determining the future of their community. The RICCP Steering Committee brings together governments, community partners, the private sector and area residents to address the priorities identified by the community in the Report on the Community Vision and Action Plan, released in September 2003.

Funding for this project was provided for in the 2004 federal Budget.

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTMENT: $485,000 National Homelessness Initiative: $275,000 Urban Aboriginal Strategy: $210,000

For more information on the Regina Community Plan on Homelessness and about the initial phase of the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative in Saskatchewan, please see the attached backgrounders. The Community Plan is also available at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/sk/newsroom/2004/nr01304.shtml.

For more information on the Government of Canada’s Urban Aboriginal Strategy, please see the attached backgrounders or visit our Website at http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/interloc/default.asp?Language=E&Page;=strategy

For more information, contact:

Government of Canada:

North Central Family Centre (NCFC) provides more than 45 programs targeting education, job placement, personal and family counselling, parenting skills, sports and recreation and social and cultural activities free of charge to children, youth, families and seniors living in Regina’s inner city. On average, 120-130 inner city Reginans use the centre each day, about half of whom are children under the age of 15. The inner city community NCFC serves faces a variety of economic and social challenges, including prostitution, street violence and drug abuse, placing its residents at higher risk of being or becoming homeless than most Reginans. For the past four years, NCFC has delivered its programs out of an existing 900-square foot facility. As NCFC has expanded its programs and services to meet the ever-increasing needs of the community, they have outgrown their current home and have identified the need to build a new 2,650 square foot facility. When completed, the new facility will: • More than double the capacity of the centre; • Enable the expansion of the centre’s indoor and outdoor children’s play space to twice its current size; • Provide NCFC with room to grow as it continues to expand and adjust its programs and services to best meet the needs of the community. The project has received strong support from community organizations and the private sector, including cash contributions of $57,000 and in-kind contributions of $128,973. Partners include: • Conexus Credit Union • Canada Safeway • IPSCO Saskatchewan Inc. • SaskTel Pioneers • Knox Metropolitan Church • Habitat for Humanity, who will be building the new centre in their first-ever construction of a non-residential facility • The University of Regina • Farm Credit Canada

BACKGROUNDER: URBAN ABORIGINAL STRATEGY

Canada’s Urban Aboriginal Population About fifty percent of Canada’s Aboriginal population lives in urban centres, with many Aboriginal people living in the larger urban centres. On a number of important indicators of personal and community well-being, urban Aboriginal people face challenges well in excess of those of the non-Aboriginal urban population. Nevertheless, Aboriginal people living in cities offer the promise of a young and growing population that can and must play a stronger role in making Canadian cities and Canada more vibrant and prosperous. City life is an integral component of Aboriginal people’s lives in Canada and Aboriginal people are an integral component of Canadian urban life.

Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS): 1998 - 2002 On January 7, 1998, Gathering Strength: Canada’s Aboriginal Action Plan was launched as the Government of Canada’s response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Under the theme, "Renewing the Partnerships", the Government of Canada established the UAS in hopes of better addressing the serious socio-economic needs of Canada’s urban Aboriginal population. The UAS was designed to improve policy development and program coordination at the federal level and with other levels of government.

Building on existing federal funding, the Government of Canada began to reach out to others to discuss how it could support efforts on-the-ground aimed at serving urban Aboriginal people. While the challenges facing many urban Aboriginal people remain, the UAS achieved successes in small but important ways. For example, the UAS contributed significantly to a greater awareness by governments and others concerning the circumstances facing urban Aboriginal people and this led to increased collaboration among governments. But these efforts were not enough; more was needed.

UAS: Renewed and Enhanced In September of 2002, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its commitment to the UAS in its Speech from the Throne, stating that: "In a number of cities, poverty is disproportionately concentrated among Aboriginal people. The government will work with interested provinces to expand on existing pilot programs to meet the needs of Aboriginal people living in cities." In the 2003 Budget, the Government of Canada matched its commitment by announcing that it was allocating $25 million over three years to support the UAS. The 2004 Budget provides $25 million in additional funding for the UAS, doubling the Urban Aboriginal Strategy’s budget to $50 million and extending the Strategy to 2006-07.

Urban Aboriginal Strategy Pilot Projects The bulk of UAS funding is being used to support pilot projects in eight priority urban centres: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Thunder Bay. Cities were selected on the basis that they are Census Metropolitan Areas and the Aboriginal population (using 2001 Census Aboriginal identity data) is greater than 15,000 or at least 5% of the total population. The remaining UAS funding will be used to support local Aboriginal organizations to participate in the UAS, the work of regional federal officials and research.

The pilot projects are meant to test new ideas on how to better respond, through partnership, to the local needs of urban Aboriginal people. The Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and municipal governments, local Aboriginal organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector to develop innovative solutions to address local priorities. 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 both provincial programs and other efforts to respond to local priorities; • To test innovative policy and programming ideas; • To gain a better understanding of what works and what does not and why; and ultimately, • To improve the socio-economic conditions of urban Aboriginal people.

UAS funding is available in the eight designated urban centres on the basis of matched efforts from provincial governments and other non-federal sources (including municipal governments, private sector and non-governmental sources).

The UAS will be monitored and assessed to determine the effectiveness of the approaches and projects. This information will be used to identify and share lessons learned and provide advice for future directions.

The Honourable Denis Coderre, in his capacity as the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, is the lead Federal Minister for the UAS. In this role, Minister Coderre works closely with a number of other federal Ministers who have programs and initiatives that serve to benefit urban Aboriginal people, such as: homelessness, housing, employment, economic development, early childhood and young adulthood.

BACKGROUNDER: REGINA COMMUNITY PLAN ON HOMELESSNESS

During the first phase of the NHI, the Regina Community Plan focused mainly on capital projects. The updated plan places priority on transitional, supportive and preventative services, including long-term transitional housing option.

The plan is a product of a consultative process involving all stakeholders interested in addressing homelessness in a particular community. The community identifies assets, gaps and priorities that meet local requirements to both prevent and reduce homelessness.

By working in partnership with community organizations, the private and voluntary sectors and other levels of government, the National Homelessness Initiative is bringing all stakeholders together to develop local solutions that work to address particular needs and challenges faced by homeless people. Through this coordinated approach, the following programs are available to support communities across Canada: the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative; the Regional Homelessness Fund; the National Research Program; the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System; and the Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Fund.

The NHI funding announced today includes three-year allocations of $1.2 million under the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative and $2.25 million under the Urban Aboriginal Homelessness. Investments through the NHI will be coordinated by the Regina Homelessness Committee to address the priority areas of transitional, supportive and preventative services by focusing on building the capacity of the community and ensuring the necessary support services exist for the homeless or at-risk population. Indicators of Homelessness and population at risk of Homelessness in Regina. The Community Plan identifies several key indicators of homelessness and risk of homelessness for the Regina area based on 2001 Census and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data:

• The 2002 Consumer Price Index for Regina was 124.6, indicating the cost of living has increased faster in Regina than in all other cities except Calgary since 1996. • 10,240 rental households in Regina spend 30% or more of their income on rent • 4,153 households in spend 50% or more of their income on rent • Average monthly rent amounted to $567 in 2001, compared to $493 in 1996 (a 15% increase over five years) • 8.1% of all dwellings need major repairs. • The 2002 Vacancy Rate was only 1.9%.

Steering Committee 2003-2006 The implementation of the Community Plan will be lead by a steering committee. The committee is made up of the following members:

• Peggy Clark - Director of Community Services Department, City of Regina • Lana Phillips - Policy Analyst, Policy & Program Development - Municipal Affairs & Housing, Dept of Community Resources & Employments • Bruce King - Department of Community Resources & Employment – Regional Manager, Family Services • Dave Hedlund - Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, Executive Director of Mental Health & Addictions Services • Garry Courchene - Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services Inc., Urban Services Manager • Karen LaRocque - Regina Metis Sports and Culture Inc., Log House Project Coordinator • Leonard Young - Youth Justice Forum, Aboriginal Community Justice Committee Coordinator • Dahlila Dubois - Youth Representative, Youth Justice Forum • Vic Huard - Executive Director, United Way of Regina • Deanna Elias-Henry - Executive Director, YWCA of Regina • Helen Finucane - Executive Director, Ehrlo Community Services

Guest Members: • Bruce Rice, Senior Policy & Research Analyst, Urban Planning Division, City of Regina • Robert Bjerke, Housing Co-ordinator, Urban Planning Division, City of Regina • Carole Aymer, Secretary II, Urban Planning Division, City of Regina