Sask. government to invest over $220K in Île-à-la-Crosse Friendship Centre

The Saskatchewan government announced Friday it will be investing more than $223,000 in a renewed three-year agreement with the Île-à-la-Crosse Friendship Centre’s community support program for youth.

“The Île-à-la-Crosse Friendship Centre provides youth in the community with a welcoming place to come together, share traditions and culture, and find new opportunities in the community,” Athabasca MLA Jim Lemaigre said on behalf of Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre.

The Community Support program provides youth with education and employment opportunities in the community and supports their continued engagement and success with their education or employment placement. It also provides structured, supervised activities based on youth interest and support for those awaiting placement, such as cooking classes, fishing trips, beading classes, medicine walks and mental health workshops.

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The support program provides cultural programming and activities to promote traditional cultural activities to approximately 80 youth in the community each year.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Friendship Centre also offers access to programs such as Aboriginal Head Start, Canada Prenatal Nutrition, Kids First North, Honouring Her Spark and the Reaching Home. The centre also offers a community pantry, a lunch kitchen, and supportive, transitional housing within the community.

The Île-à-la-Crosse Friendship Centre was established in 1992.

In a press release, the province said its 2023-24 budget also includes $32,000 for North Sask Victim Services in Île-à-la-Crosse, which provides culturally sensitive support services and assists victims of crime in navigating the criminal justice system.