YORKTON – The Métis Nation Sask. announced the building of a Ma Faamii Service Centre in downtown Yorkton Oct. 18.
Upwards of 50 people gathered at the site of the future project located in the vacant lots of 129-148 Broadway Street West.
Ma Faamii, which means "my family" in Michif, a Métislanguage, is a central access point and resource support for Métis citizens. Programs offered by the Métis Nation Sask include housing, health, early learning, childcare, mental health and addictions among others.
The centres also exist to help Métis citzens connect to external resources when internal options are not currently available.
The Yorkton project is one of four Ma Faamii Service Centre's being built in the province over the next 24 months, according to Loretta King, Métis Nation of Saskatchewan's Minister of Housing and Infrastructure.
"They've been designed to meet the needs of citizens and accessible and culturally appropriate surroundings," said King of the service centre during her address to those in attendance for the announcement.
King said the buildings are designed to be energy efficient and net-zero energy ready.
"The structure's design is consistent across the province to be recognized as a Ma Faamii Service Centre so in any community that you go to where there's a Ma Faamii Centre you will be able to recognize it," said King, adding, "we expect the full network of Ma Faamii Centres to be constructed within the next 24 months."
"It's an exciting time for the Métis Nation. It's an exciting time for you as Métis people and for the city to have this beautiful centre being built here that's going to help people with health issues, with social services, with economic development, with all sorts of needs that our community needs and wants," said Michelle LeClair, Vice President Métis Nation of Sask, during her address.
Tim Roussin, Regional Director of Eastern Region ER2A, emphasized the centre's significance, stating in an interview with SaskToday.ca, "the importance of Ma Faamii centre right here in the heart Yorkton ... it will be easily accessible for all our Métis people."
"We have so many services coming out now. In the past seven years we've developed so many programs it's really hard to keep track of. So for people to be able to come to one spot and to be able to access education information, healthcare information, housing — to be able to do that out of just one location really is going to benefit people from the youth to people that our my age to our elders," said Roussin, adding, "it's just going to benefit everybody — all the Métis people — as well as the people."
Roussin believes the centre will establish a lasting presence for the Métis community in Yorkton.
"We really don't have a footprint here for our Métis people and this is really going to blaze a trail for all the people to funnel to us," said Roussin, adding "I'm just really really proud of the work that we've done in the past four years and I just know that things are just going to continue to grow and get better for our Métis people and I'm excited to see what that future holds for us."
