BONNYVILLE – The mood was jovial, and a sense of pride and accomplishment was palpable among the staff and volunteers of the Bonnyville Friendship Centre who attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the organization’s soon-to-be-built facility on April 8.
After years of planning, preparing and hoping to construct a state-of-the-art Friendship Centre facility to house the organization’s growing programs, headway was made through the approval of a multi-million dollar federal grant.
“Due to the growth we have experienced, we need to expand our office space and address the issues of disrepair in our current facility. Through the work of my Community Initiatives Coordinator Janet Gobert, we are able to address this need,” said Lauri Fitzpatrick, the executive director for the Bonnyville Friendship Centre.
Gobert, who also serves as the organization’s grant writer, was able to secure the multi-million dollar grant from the Government of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada, after years of ongoing efforts.
The funds going toward the new building were provided by the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples – Major Infrastructure grant.
And while the recipients of the grant will not be officially announced by the federal government until next week, the Friendship Centre’s staff are able to say the amount they will receive is enough to complete the construction on an expansion and retrofit of their current facility. Once completed the Centre will grow to 320 Sq. metres.
The grant stipulates that the construction of the new facility must start and be completed within one year.
This week, plans and blueprints previously designed by GenMec and financed by the Government of Alberta will be taken to the Town of Bonnyville’s Planning and Development Department to get the permit process rolling so construction can begin as soon as possible, Gobert told Lakeland This Week.
During the construction, the Friendship Centre and Food Bank will remain open and will stay at the same location, explained Gobert. Crews will be opening up the front and back of the building to tie in the current structure to the new addition.
Speaking briefly at the ceremony, Gobert said that a large factor behind the centre’s success in achieving the grant came down to the data collection and the support offered by the programming staff at the Friendship Centre.
For the last 11 years, Fitzpatrick has worked with the non-profit, it has been her goal to create a facility that represents the building and healing that the organization hopes to achieve.
“During my tenure with the Friendship Centre, I have witnessed many changes and none more so than the last four years,” Fitzpatrick told guests attending the ceremony. “Our dream has become a reality.”
In addition to the core programs that the organization offers, such as the community food bank, clothing depot, a hot lunch program, and cultural and youth programming, the Friendship Centre is now expanding into health and social initiatives.
These new initiatives are seeing tremendous growth and are rising to the forefront of the agency’s efforts, Fitzpatrick expressed.
Words of support
Local dignitaries in attendance took turns speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, each with a similar message of gratitude for the endless efforts that the Friendship Centre carries out in building and supporting the community.
The Town of Bonnyville’s Deputy Mayor and Coun. Brian McEvoy took the opportunity to read the Town’s newly created land acknowledgment statement.
“We respect the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis and all First Peoples of Canada whose presence continues to enrich our community,” he read.
After he finished, he drew special attention to the statement’s last few words.
“Continues to enrich our community,” he repeated.
Other dignitaries who offered words of support included Pastor Dwayne Mitchell, Elder Peggy Flett, the Bonnyville Friendship Centre’s board of director’s president Rick Jerome, and Executive Director of the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association Jeannette MacInnis.
Also speaking was MD of Bonnyville Reeve Barry Kalinski and local MLA David Hanson.
Representatives from Indigenous Services Canada were unable to attend due to a mix up of dates but sent their regrets at missing the event.
Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs was invited to participate in the ceremony, but neither she nor her staff were able to attend on Friday.
With the arrival of spring, residents travelling along the Town of Bonnyville’s Main Street can expect to see groundwork starting to place at the empty lot next to the Friendship Centre’s current location.
