Journey Begins for Tri-Cities Friendship Centre

Recently a new Tri-Cities initiative was launched at the Coquitlam Public Library at an event entitled The Tri-Cities Friendship Centre; A Journey's Beginning. Spearheaded by well known community builders Ed Hall ( former chief of the Coquitlam First Nation ) and Vanessa Wideski ( founder of Low Entropy ).

Geoff Scott – Local Journalism Initiative

As the title would indicate, their goal is to raise funds and community support for the construction of a Friendship Centre somewhere in the Tri-Cities. The goal of the Friendship Centre would be to provide a place for healing, celebration, and unity between indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

There is a well known Friendship Centre in Vancouver located on East Hasting near Clark St. and another located Surrey, and one in Mission. Given the sheer size and population of the region there are many who feel that another friendship centre is in order.

Certainly Canada as a whole has done a poor job of responding to the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples and locally we have not done much better. The construction of a local Friendship Centre would undoubtedly be a step in the right direction.

It's important to note that, while these centres offer programs relating to the indigenous community, and focus on healing, truth & reconciliation, environmental stewardship, decolonization and other such systems of change, they also focus much of their efforts on building bridges between the indigenous and non-indigenous community.

The event it's self was hosted by Ernie Cardinal and featured a presentation by Grand Chief Clarence Penner who spoke to the crowd on a number of issues including the time he spent in residential schools. It's these kind of conversations that need to happen in any successful journey to reconciliation and a friendship centre would be an ideal place for further such conversations.

Judging from the turn out the Tri-Cities Friendship Centre is off to a good start. Not only was the room filled to capacity, but many of those who were there were the movers and shakers that have helped shaped the region to what it is today.