Ethel Blondin-Andrew Announces New Initiative for Aboriginal Youth Living in Urban Areas
EDMONTON, February 12, 1999 -- Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Secretary of State (Children and Youth) and Member of Parliament for Western Arctic, on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps, today announced $100 million in funding over a five-year period for the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres Initiative."The challenges facing Aboriginal youth living in Canada's urban centres are serious and require immediate action. The federal government's Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres Initiative responds to those challenges. The Initiative will be designed, managed and implemented by Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal youth. It will give Aboriginal youth the skills and tools they need to contribute to building strong Aboriginal communities and participate fully in all aspects of Canadian society," said Ms. Blondin-Andrew.
The Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres Initiative is a five-year initiative targeted to Aboriginal youth between the ages of 15 and 24 living in urban areas. It will provide a broad range of culturally relevant programs and activities, such as professional and peer counselling, to encourage Aboriginal youth to complete their education and strengthen employment skills.
The Initiative fulfills a commitment made in the Red Book: Securing Our Future Together and is consistent with the government's commitment in Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan. The Initiative is also a key youth-related element of the federal government's Urban Aboriginal Strategy.
Funding for this Initiative was provided for in the February 1998 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
For additional information on the Initiative, please consult the Departmental website.
Information:
Catherine Gagnaire
Communications Assistant
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
BACKGROUNDER
URBAN MULTIPURPOSE ABORIGINAL YOUTH CENTRES INITIATIVE
What is the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres Initiative about?
--The Initiative aims to improve the economic, social and personal prospects of urban Aboriginal youth through a network of multipurpose Aboriginal youth centres. Programs and activities offered through the network of centres will either: a) build on existing programs; or b) where gaps are identified, will be developed by the local Aboriginal community in accordance with their specific needs, with strong input from Aboriginal youth.
--Projects and activities could focus on: encouraging school completion; increasing effective participation in employment, skill development, career counselling and training; improving self-esteem and life skills, including parenting; increasing participation in health, cultural and recreational programs; and providing alternatives to negative and destructive social behaviour, such as, gangs, criminal activity, and alcohol and drug abuse through outreach and street intervention programs.
--The network of Centres will also steer Aboriginal youth to other existing services, and support programs and coordinate key community-level services and activities in order to maximize leverage of services and resources from all relevant sources.
Who will benefit from the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre Initiative?
--All Aboriginal youth 15 to 24 years old, living in urban centres where the combined Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population exceeds 1,000, may be eligible. In certain circumstances, youth as much as five years younger or older than the target group could benefit from the Initiative.
How much money is being dedicated to the Initiative?
--A budget of up to $100M will be available until March 31, 2003 for this initiative.
Who will administer the Initiative?
--The National Association of Friendship Centres, the Métis National Council and the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and the provincial/regional affiliates of these organizations will all be involved in the administration of this program. These organizations have a proven track record of delivering programs at the local level. To complement youth involvement in the administration of the Initiative, the Department of Canadian Heritage, together with local Aboriginal organizations, is establishing a series of Aboriginal youth advisory committees in Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
The local advisory committees will review proposals for funding of local projects and make appropriate recommendations.
Where will the multipurpose Aboriginal youth centres be located?
--All urban centres with a combined Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population of 1,000 and over qualify under the Initiative. To ensure that resources are directed as effectively as possible, the Initiative will focus primarily on those larger urban centres that the Aboriginal community has identified with the greatest number of Aboriginal youth. There will, however, be an opportunity for organizations from smaller communities to receive funding as well.
--Regarding the Centres themselves, they could be housed in existing facilities identified by the local Aboriginal community as being the most appropriate in terms of location and accessibility. They could include rented facilities, friendship centres or other Aboriginal venues in urban areas. Outreach programs and street intervention programs could also take place at schools, recreation centres, malls, and local Aboriginal housing projects, and may involve a variety of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service providers and partnerships.
Why is this Initiative needed now?
--The urban Aboriginal youth population is among the fastest-growing in Canada. In many centres - particularly in the west - Aboriginal youth living in urban centres are the most visible and the most disadvantaged sector of Canadian society.
--By any measure - unemployment, school drop-out rates, alcohol and drug abuse, criminal and gang activity, teenage prostitution, young single parenthood - urban Aboriginal youth are in difficulty.
--In the absence of effective action, the long-standing problems facing Aboriginal youth in urban areas are likely to get worse and more visible as the Aboriginal youth population continues to grow more rapidly than the non-Aboriginal youth population.
--Effective action is needed now to combat the long-standing problems facing Aboriginal youth, and to promote a better future for them and for their children. This initiative will provide the opportunity for Aboriginal youth to acquire the necessary tools and skills to allow them to contribute to building strong Aboriginal communities and to participate as full and active members in all areas of Canadian society.
The Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centres Initiative fulfils a commitment made in the Red Book: Securing Our Future Together and is consistent with the government's commitment in Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan. The Initiative is also a key youth-related element of the federal government's Urban Aboriginal Strategy.
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