Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society

athabasca

4919–53 Street
Athabasca, AB T9S 1L1
Executive Director: M. Boisvert
Email: anfcs@telusplanet.net
Telephone: (780) 675–3086

Fast Facts

During 2006/07 the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society served more than 10,000 people.

The Athabasca regional Aboriginal population statistics include:
Athabasca 205 people; Calling Lake 3170 people; Wabasca – Demarois area 8000-11000 people. (Stats Canada 2001)

A Vision for the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society

We will have an environment where: The values, spirituality, beliefs and attitudes of North American Aboriginal People are respected and the wisdom of the Elders is revered.

The Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society will promote the strengthening of friendship and cooperation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of the community and surrounding area. Our programs and services depict our focus of the well-being of all people within a cross-cultural context, with special emphasis on the respect of the spirituality, culture and beliefs of the North American Aboriginal People.

A Brief History on the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society

The Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society is an incorporated non-profit society registered under the Alberta Societies Act in 1988. We are a social services agency administering programs and services designed to meet the evolving needs of all Aboriginal people, both transient and resident of the region. We are dedicated to the integration of the following principles into all decision-making, operational activities and processes that touch on, or are directly related to the business of the society; unity, consultation, service and action.

After several attempts at operations, discontinuing services in between, it was in 1993 that we were successful in accessing first time funding through an Alberta Native Affairs’ Friendship Centre grant funding to provide Aboriginal services in Athabasca. Between the National Association of Friendship Centres and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, we were able to offer more staffing positions, which afforded us the opportunity to present much more programming in our facility. We have evolved from an organization offering assistance to Aboriginal People, coming into urban centres, to an effective service body, offering an array of human services, information, education and training programs, cultural and recreational activities while representing and advocating for the needs of urban Aboriginal people, with a positive review of youth programming.

One of the society’s major accomplishments was the construction of a 3600 square foot, handsome log facility with the assistance of an Aboriginal Urban Initiative in 1998 – 1999. Along with this initiative, we offered training to ten individuals in log construction and in 1999 – 2000 a pre-apprenticeship bricklaying program that graduated eight youth, leaving legacies for the entire northern region for many years to come. According to Athabasca Archives, the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society has made history as being the first Aboriginal organization to own property within the town of Athabasca. Furthermore, according to Human Resources Development Canada, the Pre-Apprenticeship Bricklaying Program was the most successful project in the region under the Youth Employment Strategy that year! Another major accomplishment within the past year has been the society’s ability to afford and maintain an independent bookkeeper, Books by Brown. As well, we offer two unique programs. The Riddle Used Store, which offers used clothing, household furniture and articles, books, etc. at an extremely low cost and our Aboriginal Parenting Program, with clients referred from Social Services, Healthy Families and Family and Community Support Services as well as clients from surrounding communities. Our relationship in the community is that we are the only Aboriginal organization that offers culturally sensitive programming to Aboriginals. We are an effective service body linked to other community agencies to provide up to date programming representing the needs of the Aboriginal People.

As we move forward, we continue to seek funding to fill in the barriers of transportation and childcare to the Aboriginal People who wish to access our programming. We see the "gap" closing between cultures, strive to assist our clients with their educational and employment needs and to assist Aboriginal People to move forward in society and overcome their existing barriers.

A highlight of Programs and Services

  • Diabetes Initiative -
  • Awareness Program
  • Advisory Boards (Parent Link)
  • Art and Craft Classes
  • Bullying
  • Children - Summer Programs
  • Children- After-school
  • Children-Cultural
  • Children-Recreational
  • Children- Arts/Crafts
  • Community Feasts
  • Community Referral
  • Conferences, Residential School Healing
  • Corrections – Community Service Location
  • Court Liaison
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Cultural Programming
  • Early Childhood Development
  • Elders Wisdom Circle called "Elders – A New Beginning"
  • Training on the Job
  • Employment Awareness
  • Health Related Programs
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Diabetes
  • Housing Committee for Low Cost Housing
  • Language Classes
  • Literacy
  • Liaison Support
  • Post Secondary Education Resources
  • Recreational Activities
  • Technology Resource
  • Women’s Programs (IAAW)
  • Youth Centre BRIDGE ROOM & After School
  • Youth Recreation
  • Youth Arts/Crafts
  • Youth Education
  • Interagency
  • Low Cost clothing and household articles

Thoughts on the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society

"The Friendship Centre means a lot to me in my life. I have always been involved with it. Since I moved to town, I’ve had a place to go."
—Athabasca Elder

"I like the Friendship Centre a lot. They are my friends and part of my life."
—Athabasca Elder

"I think the Friendship Centre means to me that there are caring people in this world that will help you – sometimes when no one else will."
—Athabasca Youth

"If it was not for the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre Society assisting me with Aboriginal Métis Grants, I would not have successfully completed my two year Business Administration Diploma."
—Bronwyn Calliou, Athabasca