Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 10, 2007
YELLOWKNIFE - Recipients of newly-established funding for youth centres were announced late last month.
In all, 18 youth centres around the NWT will each be receiving $13,888 from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) under the Youth Centres Initiative.
Each of the following youth centres will receive $13,888 from the GNWT.
•Aklavik Youth Centre
•Inuvik Youth Centre Society
•Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation Youth Centre
•Hamlet of Fort Liard Youth Centre
•Deh Cho Friendship Centre Healthy Activities for Youth Program (Fort Simpson)
•Nahanni Butte Dene Band Youth Centre
•Sambaa K'e Dene Band Youth Centre (Trout Lake)
•Pehdzeh Ki First Nation Youth Empowerment Now Program (Wrigley)
•Whati Youth Centre
•Junior Side Door After School Drop In Program (Yellowknife)
•Tulita Dene Band Youth Centre
•Norman Wells Youth and Elder Centre
•Great Bear Lakers Youth Association Youth Centre (Deline)
•Zhati Koe Friendship Centre (Fort Providence)
•Fort Smith Youth at Risk Initiative
•Hay River Community Youth Centre
•K'atlodeeche First Nation Youth Centre (Hay River Reserve)
•Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation Youth Centre
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"Through this new initiative, MACA is able to offer much needed support to community youth centres," said MACA Minister Michael McLeod.
"Community youth centres have been offering a great range of positive programming for youth in most communities. However, one of their greatest challenges has been finding stable funding sources to support core operations. This new initiative will begin to help with that challenge."
Glenn Wallington, chair of the board of directors for the Hay River Community Youth Centre, said he is pleased to see the new funding.
"This is great. It's a great help for us," he said, explaining the money will assist with the budget, staffing and maintaining the facility.
Wallington said MACA offers other funding for specific programs, but this is the first time it has provided operational funding.
"We'll put it in our general fund and use it as it's needed," he said.
The new funding will be a big boost for youth centres in the NWT, Wallington added.
"All of us are scrambling desperately to find funding to stay open."
Dana Bird, a volunteer with the Tulita Dene Band Youth Centre, said she is also happy to see the new funding.
"We're very pleased with it," said Bird, who wrote the proposal for funding for the youth centre.
She said the money will be used to buy more equipment, such as computers, and to run more programming and events.Mellissa Wood, MACA's senior advisor for youth and volunteer programs, said the new initiative will offer ongoing annual funding that centres can apply for each year.
"It's geared towards operating costs," Wood said.
However, some of the money - to a limit of $5,000 - can be used for minor capital projects.
