Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs had an unexpected VIP guest for the grand opening of their new Atoskewin Success Centre.
The VIP was federal minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Bernard Valcourt. It was noted it was the first time in years a federal Aboriginal Affairs minister had been to North Battleford.
The minister was there for the official ribbon-cutting, along with numerous area chiefs, senators and elders as well as civic officials including mayors Ian Hamilton and Derek Mahon and MLA Herb Cox.
Valcourt took a tour around the facility, whose goal is to train and place aboriginal people in jobs in the region. The name of the centre, Atoskewin, stands for "work" in Cree. The facility is located at 491 - 114th St.
The federal government had been working with BATC and its seven member bands to create the centre as a way to encourage social changes that are being sought by First Nations. The Success Centre's efforts are a partnership between BATC, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy.
For those at BATC, its opening "means hope, it means a breath of fresh air, and it means a lot of opportunities in the future for First Nations people in the region," said BATC Executive Director Neil Sasakamoose.
The centre is billed as the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. Sasakamoose told reporters the idea for Atoskewin Success Centre is for it to be a one-stop shop providing services to clients, with a mandate of reducing dependency on social assistance.
Clients who is at high risk of going on social assistance are assessed, and in that assessment their goals and aspirations are defined and it's determined what kind of work they are ready for.
Sasakamoose said they deal with 58 contractors in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and they forward a list of people looking for work in a variety of areas. The jobs are wide-ranging in a number of different industries and could include security, heavy equipment operating, catering and custodial maintenance, among others.
"The field is so wide in the oil and gas sector," he said.
Valcourt noted the centre's assessment process helps address the stumbling blocks that have prevented some aboriginal people from getting a foot in the door.
He pointed to instances where "the only reason he cannot access the labour market is because he doesn't have a drivers' license to get a job."
Those "will be identified and they will get those skills," said Valcourt.
Among the barriers the centre will address are addictions, mental health and abuse, lack of qualifications or work experience, culture shock, limited transitional financial support or lack of literacy.
The centre also helps in other ways with client services such as equipment, a 24-hour industry support line, GED, prescreen drug testing and liaison service with industry partners.
They also help with shuttle transportation. BATC showed off an impressive fleet of several shuttle buses that are used to transport workers for several hours to and from their jobs in the oil patch and elsewhere.
On a national level, the federal government has invested $241 million over four years towards training and improved incentives for labour market participation, focusing on First Nation individuals between ages 18 and 24 receiving income assistance.
Their focus is on supporting approximately 14,000 First Nations people, with the goal of implementing the approach incrementally.
"When we talk about creating jobs and economic growth and long-term prosperity, that includes all Canadians and it includes First Nations, and these are the steps we are taking at the federal level to ensure that we can achieve these goals of creating jobs and creating economic growth, and ensuring long-term prosperity for all Canadians," said Valcourt.
Among the individuals Valcourt met while touring the facility was Kyle Bugler of Red Pheasant First Nation, who says he sees the centre as something that will be positive for him and for others in achieving their goals. He's seeking a job closer to the community and believes the centre will help him get the skills he needs.
"It's better being here than staying in the reserve doing nothing, sitting on the couch, waiting for something or something else to occur" said Bugler.
"It changes your attitude in life once you have something to wake up in the morning for."
The arrival of the Success Centre comes on the heels of recent efforts by BATC towards improving the standard of living of First Nations people.
Sasakamoose pointed to efforts of the late Chief Wayne Standinghorn and the goal he had set to reduce dependency on social assistance by five per cent within their member reserves.
Sasakamoose said that just in the last year they had gone through a pilot project at BATC that had reduced the number of people on their reserves who were on social assistance by 225.
A total of 1,600 total clients were assessed, 420 were trained and 320 of them were employed, with BATC estimating the economic impact of $21 million for North Battleford and area.
For his part, Valcourt had positive things to say about BATC's ongoing efforts.
"They are on the right track and that's why we are supporting Battlefords Agency (Tribal Chiefs) in the way we are."
