THUNDER BAY – Every two weeks Charlene Baglien visits the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre's new offices, set to open this fall in the former Bank of Montreal building on Red River Road, to take a look at the progress being made.
“We take a walk around and we see new things that have been added in," said Baglien, the centre's executive director. "We're going to put a teepee inside and it's going to be used for cultural space for one-on-one meetings and to have some ceremony, and that'll be right in up front when you walk in the building."
"So, I'm excited,” she said.
Completion of the renovations to the building were originally set for spring or summer, but Baglien told Newswatch on Wednesday the building won't be ready until the end of September.
Contractors have been renovating the building for over a year now. Most of the interior work has been completed. What still needs to be done is some painting, millwork, a new skylight, as well as the installation of the new HVAC system.
Baglien said the expansion of the Friendship Centre’s services has been in its strategic plan for 10 years, but funding gaps have been a big issue.
She said the overall price tag for renovation has been between $6 million to $7 million.
“We've done that. We've applied for lots of other additional funding to be able to renovate this building and to expand our services to in the community," she said.
The Friendship Centre recently received federal funding of $1 million for the installation of a heat pump system in the building.
“We moved away from gas. It is all electric. We did that in keeping with our own traditions and belief in the land, and that's how we want to move forward,” Baglien said.
With the acquisition of the former BMO building, the Friendship Centre will move some of its justice services into the new location.
Serena Essex, director of operations, said they'll be moving some programs from their current location in the south core.
"That includes our restorative justice programs, our bail and some court worker programming, as well as our Indigenous Peoples Court, and our drug treatment court services," she said, adding the new location will also house some wellness services.
Moving into the north core allows the centre to better collaborate with existing partners in the area, Essex said.
The Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre will continue to also operate out of its existing building on North Cumberland Street after the new facility opens.
