New youth recreation and cultural centre being built as safe space for Pasqua First Nation kids

A new facility is being built to help out young people on the Pasqua First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Construction began Tuesday morning and Fabian Ironeagle, a Pasqua First Nation councillor, said the community has longed for this day for years.

“We’ve had a dream to have a youth centre for a number of years,” Ironeagle said.

“It’s crucial in terms of providing programs and services for our young people.”

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Reighlene Peigan, a youth representative on the First Nation, said the new centre will be a safe space.

“They’re excited to play pool, have computers, just a place to hang out. It’s a safe place to hang out,” Peigan said.

The new youth centre is one resource that could help indigenous kids and teenagers in a province where lack of resources on First Nations recently drew criticism after four young teens in northern Saskatchewan took their own lives.

READ MORE: Victim’s family says suicide a problem across northern Saskatchewan for years

Councillor Ironeagle said his community has always taken a proactive approach when it comes to their kids.

“A lot of our programming is in the evening, so that our children have something to do. Our youths have something to do,” Ironeagle said.

“So they’re not just sitting at home, being influenced by these negative things that are happening in urban areas.”

The new centre will cost $750,000 and will be funded by the federal government.

According to Craig Henry, the regional manager of Indigenous and Northern Affairs in Saskatchewan, the new centre is a proactive approach to supporting youth.

“This is looking at the longer term and supporting youth… to assist youths and help them further down the road,” Henry said.

According to children in the community, there are limited recreational activities.

“We’ll have activities in the evening sometimes, but other than that, we don’t have a place to go,” Peigan said.

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For mental health, Peigan said kids will also be able to seek counsellors in the centre.

“It’ll be somewhere that we can go to.. When we need help, if we’re having suicidal thoughts and stuff like that. They’ll be counsellors there, that will help us and can help us,” Peigan said.

The new youth centre is expected to be ready by Jun. 30, 2017.