Financial woes at Indian and Mtis Friendship Centre met with finger pointing

The fate of the Indian and Mtis Friendship Centrecould be decided this weekend when its funding body, the Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres, holds its quarterly board meeting in Dauphin.

• Indian and Metis Friendship Centre loses funding, lays off staff

The Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres, which distributes provincial and federal funding to 11 groups,sent theWinnipeg centre a letter stating its funding was being suspendedon Jan. 31.

A second letter sent on Feb. 3to the president of theIndian and Mtis Friendship Centre said a motion had been put forward to remove the Winnipeg centre from the association.

"Of course it is concerning, but what am I going to do? As a board member, what am I going to do?" said Garry McLean, who spoke on behalf of the Indian and Mtis Friendship Centreboard because president Donna M'Lot was working.

The Manitoba association gave the Winnipeg centre seven reasons why it suspended funding, including:

• Theapplication for funding wasn't in on time.
• Complaints from the community, staff and board members.
• Unstable staffing, with five executive directors in one year.

McLean said the real problem is with the Manitoba association.

The board does not want the centre'sdoors to close and staff has been laid off temporarily to reducespending, McLean said. There is enough money in the bank to keep the centre open until July, he said.

The Winnipeg friendship centre will try to secure its own funding and the board has sent letters to both the province and the national funding body, asking that funding godirectly to the centre and not be distributed through the Manitoba association.

A spokesperson for the province's Indigenous and Municipal Relations Department said it is not actively considering the request.

"We hope this issue can be resolved independently. MAC continues to inform provincial officials on efforts to resolve the matter," the provincial spokesperson said.

Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres presidentMuriel Parkersaid she doesn't want the oldest friendship centre in Manitoba to close its doors.

The Manitoba association's boardis hoping to find a positive solution this weekend in Dauphin, she said.