By Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com As Jennifer Rankin steps into the role of chief executive officer of the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC), the organization is facing uncertainty about its long-term funding. With no mention of the country’s more than 100 friendship centres in November’s federal budget, the NAFC is concerned that urban Indigenous people will be left behind. While the NAFC’s core funding has come from the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples (UPIP) since 2017, this federal program sunsets in 2026 and nothing has been formally committed after the fiscal year ending March 31. Although Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty has promised stability and continuity of services, the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) has said its bracing for federal support to be less…
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