HISTORY OF THE TIMMINS NATIVE FRIENDSHIP CENTRE 

A small group of dedicated people came together with a dream to provide a safe gathering place for the Native community. From those first early steps the Timmins Native Friendship Centre was established in 1974. This realization was influenced largely by arrival of Aboriginal people who had to leave their home reserves to seek employment or to attend the local education institutes. The main concern was with the increasing number of First Nation students coming from the surrounding coastal communities to attend the local Secondary and Post-Secondary Schools. It was generally felt by the founders of the Friendship Centre that these students need to be provided with a positive environment, which would reflect their academic performance in a positive way.

The Friendship Centre became incorporated in 1976 and received core funding in October 1982 from the Secretary of State through the Migrating Peoples Program. The current source of the Core funding is Heritage Canada’s Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program (AFCP), which is administered by the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) through a contribution agreement.

The Board and Staff are dedicated to carry out its aims and objectives, and to ensure that a healthy atmosphere be provided to the Aboriginal community. More importantly, the Centre responds with programs that support the cultural heritage of Aboriginal people and assists in their inclusion and participation in urban life. With this support we strive to improve the quality of life for urban aboriginal people living in the Timmins area providing intervention, direct services, advocacy, and support in the areas of health, education, culture, recreation, and social services. We are committed to providing a place of re-discovery and opportunities for learning new ways to live in a healthy way.