Timeline

History4

  • 1950s: Three newly formed Friendship Centres emerge in Canada: the North American Indian Club in Toronto, the Coqualeetza Fellowship Club in Vancouver and the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre in Winnipeg.
  • 1968: Friendship Centres reach a total number of 26 Centres in operation.
  • 1969: Friendship Steering Committee established to examine the feasibility of a national body to represent Friendship Centres.
  • 1971: The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. The provinces of British Columbia and Ontario form their Provincial Associations of Friendship Centres. The Government of Canada implements the Migrating Native Peoples (MNP). Friendship Centres grow to a total of 43 centres in operation.
  • 1973: The NAFC opens its new office in Ottawa.
  • 1976: A study conducted by an independent consultant, CANACT Services, found that social service agencies were referring Indigenous people to FCs and that FCs did not have adequate financial resources or capacity to be able to embrace the responsibilities.
  • 1983: The NAFC and the Department of the Secretary of State (DSOS) successfully negotiated the evolution of the MNP to an enriched Native Friendship Centre Program (NFCP). Friendship Centres evolve to become front line work and grow to a total of 80 centres in operation.
  • 1988: The NFCP becomes the Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program (AFCP), which secured the status of the permanent funding from DSOS. Operations and programs are now run autonomously.
  • 1996: The Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), formerly DSOS, transfers administrative responsibility of the AFCP to the NAFC. This transfer signified a new era in Indigenous/Government relations and to this day, highlights a unique relationship with the Government of Canada. 
  • 2001: The NAFC renews AFCP transfer agreement between PCH and NAFC.
  • 2012: The number of Friendship Centre’s reaches 117 centres in operation.
  • 2014: Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) is announced as a new funding agreement and aims to support the participation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian Economy.
  • 2017: In May of 2017, the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) replaces the Previous UAS program after feedback received during engagement held in 2016.
  • 2021: There are 125 active Friendship Centres and 7 Provincial/Territorial Associations.