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 BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres 
Strengthening Aboriginal health in urban communities
 

The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres  aims to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal people in urban centres by supporting Friendship Centre activities across the province. 

The BCAAFC consists of 24 member Friendship Centres that provide a base of social services to an average of 1200 Aboriginal people per day. More than 60 per cent of Status Indians in BC and 74 per cent of all Aboriginal people in BC live off-reserve, according to the 2006 Census.  Friendship Centres in BC have been providing services to their clientele for the past 50 years. 

Aboriginal ActNow funding provided to the BCAAFC has led to the creation of four projects in BC including:

  • Centre of Excellence: This joint health promotion initiative between the Ookanakane Friendship Centre and the Penticton Indian Band coordinates on and off-reserve programs to better serve the needs of the Aboriginal population in the region.  The program provides information about healthy living and facilitates outreach in the geographic catchment area.  Activities include health workshops and guest presentations on nutrition, physical activity, and healthy living.
  • Urban Community Health Plan: this collaborative project wih the KI-LOW-NA Friendship Centre, the Interior Health Authority, and UBC Okanagan will see development of B.C.’s first urban community Aboriginal Health Plan. The goal of the project is to create a model of Aboriginal community health planning in an urban context that will serve as a template for comprehensive community health planning in other urban Aboriginal communities throughout BC. The five-year plan maps existing health facilities, analyzes the Aboriginal population's use of health services in the area, and charts a process to meet the needs of the urban community.
  • Aboriginal Sport, recreation and Physical Activity Strategy: Increasing access and participation in sports, recreation and physical activity opportunities for First Nations, Métis, and off-reserve Aboriginal youth is a growing priority.  In response, the BCAAFC spearheaded the development of an Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council. The council includes  participants from MNBC, the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association and the North American Indigenous Games. The goal of the project is to increase Aboriginal participation in sports and recreation, improve health outcomes and influence policy change. To date, the project has led to three research reports, the development of the Aboriginal Youth Declaration, and a ‘five pillars’ framework presented to a council of BC Indian Chiefs prior to the opening of the 2008 North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan, B.C.  Support is continuing to grow.

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The active involvement of the NCCAH in support of the projects is “helping to realize the health goals of urban Aboriginal populations in BC in a long-term and sustainable way.” -- Paul Lacerte, Executive Director of the BCAAFC
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