Imagine moving to Thunder Bay from a small Northern community.
Used to dealing with one person in one place for social services, there are now several places spread throughout the city all while facing cultural and language barriers. Navigating a city’s transit system, especially with children in tow, the bus fare alone would start to add up.
Robin Haliuk hears this scenario time and time again in community circles set up by the Thunder Bay Urban Aboriginal Strategy. It’s the reason she wants to see the city have a one-stop welcoming centre for First Nations moving to Thunder Bay for the first time.
“Just a place where families can go and find the services, help navigation through the many different systems and social services I think that would be very helpful,” she said Wednesday morning at the Italian Cultural Centre.
Haliuk brought her suggestion to the Thunder Bay Urban Aboriginal Strategy Community Forum, which is looking for input on how to move the strategy forward in the future. Strategy planner Frances Wesley said they want to hear from people on all issues from affordable housing to justice.
“What we’re trying to do is look at existing gaps in community services,” she said.
In 2004 the need for a youth program for children seven to 13 was identified. Today there is BIWAASE’AA,an after school program that teaches children about Aboriginal culture.
“That was a huge gap that we identified,” Wesley said.
Moving forward one of the areas the strategy wants to tackle is justice and specifically Gladue courts, where a judge takes the background of the person into consideration and might try restorative justice instead of incarceration for minor crimes.
“So when they’re working with the accused see what support services are out there,” Wesley said.
A youth-focused forum takes place Thursday evening at the Prince Arthur.
