NWT friendship centres marched into the COVID-19 crisis weathering a tighter budget.

With the onset of the pandemic, the organizations have less money than previous years to help provide their services: shelters, meals, community support, and elders programs.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 because last month the main 2020-21 budget estimate for the territorial government signalled the end of a two-year program that provided friendship centres with $250,000 in funding.

On April 3, regular MLAs called on the GNWT to earmark crisis funding for the centres, to organize community responses and to help them access federal food bank money and northern food security support.

That would all be welcome for Anthony Rabesca, president of NWT and NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 Council of Friendship Centres, as he wants SA国际影视传媒渢o battle this (Covid-19) and start helping our people.SA国际影视传媒�

The centres provide service to roughly 13,000 people in seven communities across NWT. During the crisis, theySA国际影视传媒檝e transitioned to food delivery and broadcasting community news updates over the radio, Rabesca said.

Some federal money keeps them at a baseline of operations, but doesn't support a full slate of services, Rabesca said.

To change that, Deh Cho MLA Ronald Bonnetrouge asked the government for crisis funding to support the friendship centres facing down the pandemic.

He was motivated to do so because he saw his local centre in Fort Providence struggling.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 no other organization in our community that can provide that kind of service,SA国际影视传媒� Bonnetrouge said. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 nobody else running those organizations. We donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any volunteer organizations and stuff like this. Friendship centres have been counted on to run a lot of things.SA国际影视传媒�

The requested money isnSA国际影视传媒檛 a replacement for the lost funding, which Bonnetrouge said was his original proposal. Rather, he sees it as crisis funding acting as a stepping stone to regular funding.

The NWT government didnSA国际影视传媒檛 respond to SA国际影视传媒SA国际影视传媒檚 request for comment by press time.

Funding wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 meant to be long-term

Responding to concerned MLAs in budget talks on March 4, Premier Caroline Cochrane said SA国际影视传媒渢hat we need to care for the friendship centres. They do provide valuable services.SA国际影视传媒�

Additionally, deputy minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs Martin Goldney said the GNWT funding was short-term, encouraging the centres to find other sources of money SA国际影视传媒渂y offering some time-limited matching funds.SA国际影视传媒�

"It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 intended as ongoing funding to replace federal government funding. It was meant to support the associationSA国际影视传媒檚 own efforts to find new sources of ongoing funding,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

In response, Thebacha MLA Frieda Martselos and Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson both took up the issue. Noting Elder and youth programming, Simpson called the centres more than a non-profit, being SA国际影视传媒渁 home for First Nations, Metis and others to gather.SA国际影视传媒�

Meanwhile, Rabesca, despite reduced resources, said the centres would still aim to offer services and get the word out about social distancing and COVID-19 safety practices.

There hadnSA国际影视传媒檛 been a wave of illness of this magnitude in the NWT since a devastating influenza outbreak in the 1920s, he said, calling the situation "a battle" the centres needed to take part in.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e going to continue. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 something thatSA国际影视传媒檚 in our blood as a friendship centres in the North and a movement that weSA国际影视传媒檝e been doing for many, many years,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e need to work together making sure that our people are aware of it, so that they themselves can save their lives.