Peace River’s Al Adair Recreation Centre has been formally turned over to the Sagitawa Friendship Society. Once a high school and a recreation centre, the community landmark is now under the care and control of the Sagitawa Friendship Society.
In 2019, the Town of Peace River began searching for a long-term caretaker for the building. In May of 2020, the process expanded with a request for proposals issued to give community groups an opportunity to decide its future. The request for proposals was open for 11 weeks and the Sagitawa Friendship Society to brought forward its vision for consideration. In March 2021, Town Council voted to formally begin the process of transferring ownership of the building to the Sagitawa Friendship Society.
The Sagitawa Friendship Society has been an Indigenous Service Provider in Peace River since 1964. The society offers programs and services to meet the ever-changing needs of the community, and it can now been done all under one roof. The building allows the society to act as a cultural hub in the downtown core and a safe space for people to access their services.
The Sagitawa Friendship Society plans to use the entire building for it’s programming, which includes:
- Ground Level Youth Centre: Youth ages 10-29 years enjoy a wide variety of programs.
- Strengthening the Family Circle: Providing support and advocacy for families.
- Building Better Babies: Prenatal and postnatal supports for new parents.
- Filling Our Tipis- Youth Mental Health Program: Providing support around mental health and holistic wellness to youth and their families using traditional teachings.
- Circle of Life- Cancer Prevention: Support for cancer survivors and individuals that are currently going through cancer treatment.
- OSSI- Outreach Support Services Initiative: Addressing youth homelessness and family reunification.
- Charley’s Good Food Box provides participants access to fresh produce, fruit, and dairy for a small fee.
- Youth Employment Program: Employment readiness programming for youth. Includes youth gaining work experience through employment at Golfworld during the summer months.
- NIHA- Northern Indigenous Health Alliance: Support for individuals living with HIV, STI’s and Hepatitis. Includes connection to culture, education, awareness, and preventative programming.
- Out of the Cold Shelter: Providing a safe place to sleep for anyone in need. Meals, access to laundry facilities and referrals are also provided.
- Education: Cultural/Historical Awareness and Training programs
- Culture: Ceremony, Medicine Wheel Teachings, Traditional Teachings and Protocols.
- Employment and referral services: Career workshops, job search and connections to the community.
The society believes it will enable them to grow services and offer more programming to the community, they also plan to renovate the existing racketball courts into a cultural space to hold ceremonies and cultural events.
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom.
