Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 10, 1976, Winnipeg, Manitoba Tutt in natives run into financial red tape cutbacks in Friendship centres warned by Debbie Lyon free press staff writer native Friendship centres in Canada May have to Cut Back programs or close Down unless the questions of cur rent and future Federal fund ing Are resolved officials warned wednesday. Albert Robillard president of the National association of Friendship centres told re porters the Federal govern ment has failed to come through with funds it promised in part of a five year pro germ to assist the centres. He and other association officials also expressed con Cern about the uncertainty surrounding the future of this migrating native people s program operated by these Creary of state. Their efforts to become involved in discussions with Federal officials about Rene Wal of the program due to expire next year have met with Little Success they said. Qualified Success their comments came Dur ing a press conference prior to the opening of the association s Svi Day fifth annual convention in the Marl Borough hotel. The comments were accompanied by the formal presentation of a three volume evaluation of the five year program by a Pri vate consultant hired by the association. The report Calls the pro Gram a qualified Success and recommends its continuation for a second five year period after a revision of its funding criteria and basis of opera Tion. Or. Rubillard told report ers the funding crunch comes at a time when Friend ship centres Are facing Ever increasing demands for ser vice from native people migrating to Urban centres. The needs of the people simply Are not being he said describing the pro Grams offered by the centres a s Short circuiting protest and violence among dissatisfied native people. Friendship centres Are serving governments and local communities by operating perhaps Token programs but a lot of misery is in he commented. The Federal government promised it would distribute about million to Friend ship centres when then Secretary of state Gerard Pel Letier announced the migrant program in 1972? or. Robillard said about million has been distributed so far. The association projects s10.5 million in total will have been Given out by the end of the first five years. He described the Federal Promise of funds As a cruel saying the Friendship centres were being called upon by other Agen cies to offer More and More senders because these Agen cies were under the impression we re enjoying that Stan Gui Boche president of the Manitoba association of Friendship centres inc., which encompasses 10 centres said million ear marked for Pilot projects has never been released by the government. The officials displayed a Jan. 15 letter from the present Secretary of state Hugh Faulkner who wrote his department finds it impossible to implement the demonstration fund program because of budgetary limitations. He said several millions of dollars had been spent on the types of projects first envisioned under the Demon stration fund citing housing training medical alcohol and drug and recreation programs for native people now offered by various Feder Al departments As examples. Never released the experience varies among the 70 centres in can Ada but on average about 50 per cent of their funding comes from the Federal government association officials said. As for Pilot projects there s no dearth of ideas. Or. Gui Boche said his Centre in the Pas man., has been trying for several years to get Federal funds to train workers to fill out income tax forms. This year workers filled about forms primarily for elderly people. Half Way houses pre school and adult education programs offered by other centres Are also in need of More adequate Federal and provincial funding the officials argued. Or. Gui Boche said he doubted the government would end the program but he expressed concern that the association s efforts to find out about plans for the future have been stymied. "0 u r correspondence on this subject of Forward plan Ning has remained Dunans he said. Or. Robillard said the executive is looking to the some 150 delegates expected at the conference to provide an indication of the action they d like taken to get More adequate government fund ing. We must be prepared to apply More direct pressure on the governments in order to help meet the special needs of native he said. Last december nine Asso c i a t i o n members held a three Day sit in in or. Faulkner s Board room to press for a 15 per cent in crease in funding later in the Day Suzanne Johnson of can act services of Ottawa a division of Ste Venson and Kellogg ltd., urged the delegates to Dis cuss her three volume report in depth and come up with some Clear recommendations for officials in the Secretary of state s department. She said it was t up to her to Tell native people what they should do nor to Tell the Secretary of state what native people want. You have to make the decisions on what you can live she told the delegates. Friendship centres have grown in number to 70 from 45 since the introduction of the program. They Are in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island and new Brunswick. They Are non political a brotherhood shuffles poisoning priorities Ottawa up medical evidence gathered this year shows that 56 indians in Northwestern Ontario and Quebec Are suffering symptoms of possible Mercury poisoning. But the National Indian brotherhood which has a sub Stantial program to combat the effect of Mercury pollution says the medical aspect no longer is a priority. We Don t want to get on the medical Allan Roy Mercury coordinator for the brotherhood said in an inter View wednesday. The Point is that people have lost their he said the people suspected of having the disease culled Mcnamata after the japanese chemical town where hundreds of people were stricken Are still Able to carry on their lives. Unlike Japan Canada had no Bas Ket cases of outright Mercury poisoning. He indicated that arguing Over who might have Mercury poisoning is a waste of Effort Effort that can be directed at the social and economic problems of Mercury pollution. The Way to help the people is to get them not to drink any More not to knife their spouses and not to leave their kids to freeze in the band councils at the re serves affected also feel that priority should be directed at creating full employment to cure the social and economic ills he said. Mercury pollution of the English Wabigoon River sys tem in Northwestern Ontario a destroyed the economies of the Islington and Grassy Narrows reserves since 1970. A View to remember taken from of our Balcorta Delrey luxury apartments 916cloutierdrive off Pembina Highway this is a prize location on Choice River property with Only 83 luxury suites to enjoy the magnificent grounds year round whirl Pool swimming Pool and Marina. Even More amazing that All this is Only 3 minutes from a major shopping Centre a Short drive anywhere with Quick Access to lakes and resorts. Experience the Best in a permanent apart ment Home. Choice of 1 and 2 bedroom suites up to so. It. Display Sulym Rente from monday to Friday 1 to it . Wmk weft 1 to 6 . 26941m of i Tono Mous organizations of Fering a variety of services to natives who come to the cities to live or visit. They offer counselling referral social cultural recreational and Community development programs. The evaluation report found the five year Federal program did not take into account the need to provide services for transient people nor did it forecast that the centres would expand from referral services to ones of Fering services of their own. Direct pressure the latter occurred be cause centres found services for native people were inadequate in their communities and that they faced pressure from other agencies to pro vide native leadership. Funds for capital projects and operating expenses Aren t adequate the report found. The findings indicated the funding programs needed to be redesigned and expanded. The support for and qua Lity of training and communications programs also needs improvement. There is a need to examine a decentralized design for the pro Gram to take account of Dif Ferent regional needs the re port said. Lack of funding and Good staff training has led to less than adequate programming for children women and elderly people and in recreational and social program Ming the report found. Sec Noju. Wall units cecum teak furniture fee 7744339 Kun 10 it 8. Sat Arifa 10 to 4. Please Dorf buy cheap paint wll Wear 2 v Matous Job More in the Long run. Poor Quality paint won t seem so cheap when you re heading Back to the store to buy an extra gallon or when you re wearing out your Arm putting on a second or third coat or when you re not Happy with the Job you get. Pittsburgh paint will Likely save you Money Energy and frustration. 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