Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, and Tracy Cardinal, Vice President of the Canadian Native Friendship Centre (CNFC), announced a federal investment of more than $1.1 million and a CNFC investment of more than $560,000 to renovate the Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Edmonton.
Through this investment, the CNFC will create a safer space for youth and visitors of all ages to connect with each other through a welcoming place. The interior and exterior of the Centre will be completely renovated to bring new life to the historical building and meet or exceed building codes. Additionally, the interior renovations will include upgraded meeting rooms, kitchen and gathering spaces. Through these upgrades, the Centre will be able to continue to provide essential programs and services in a more accessible way while acting as a gathering place for the local Indigenous community. The renovated space will also provide a better working environment for CNFC staff.
By upgrading this historical building to meet environmental standards, it will continue to be a familiar landmark and valuable resource to the community. These improvements are expected to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 54.6% and greenhouse gas emissions by 30.6 tonnes annually.
The CNFC was created to support the Indigenous community by welcoming new residents to the city with referral services. Serving approximately 10,000 people annually, it is a hub for the community and hosts meetings, social events and local gatherings and strives to improve the quality of life of Indigenous people in an urban environment by supporting self-determined activities. They also encourage equal access to and participation in the programming offered.
By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.
