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

The fate of the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre could 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 the Winnipeg centre a letter stating its funding was being suspended on Jan. 31.

A second letter sent on Feb. 3 to the president of the Indian and Métis 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 Métis Friendship Centre board because president Donna M'Lot was working.

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

• The application 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's doors to close and staff has been laid off temporarily to reduce spending, 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 go directly 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 president Muriel Parker said she doesn't want the oldest friendship centre in Manitoba to close its doors.

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