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Mt. Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre – Virtual Grand Opening
Today on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2021, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is both excited and honoured to announce the opening of Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, located at 1290 Weston Road in York. This new multi-service centre will have several services including an EarlyON and the Kiiwednong Aboriginal Head Start program that will provide children, parents and caregivers access to culturally responsive programs and services in an inclusive and welcoming space that supports their well-being, enriches their cultural knowledge, and provides opportunities to strengthen relationships. Along with early years programming, the centre will provide supports for community members across all ages, including youth programming and Elder/Senior wellness programs.
This virtual grand opening will include a walk-through of the new site, video statements from Faisal Hassan, MPP for York South-Weston and Katharine Bambrick, the CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, as well as live speeches from Mayor John Tory, Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director of Native Child and Family Service of Toronto, and a traditional opening with a Community Grandmother.
The Centre will provide integrated services for Aboriginal children, families and caregivers that are culture-based and designed to engage parents and caregivers, support early learning and development, make connections for families, and meet the unique needs of Toronto’s Aboriginal community.
“We are envisioning these hubs as intergenerational spaces so we can see young kids engaging and interacting with their parents, but then also coming back for a culture night or a community ceremony with their grandparents, older siblings, and their friends, and I think having all of those generations interacting in one place is going to be very supportive for the community.” ~ Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer
Some of the programs and services that will be offered are drop-in and group programs, sharing circles, access to Knowledge Keepers and Elders on-site and ongoing parent and education supports, pre and post-natal programs in partnership with the Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Mommy Matters and Parenting Together Programs. One permanent Zhishay (uncle) to support fathers, and one Ninoshe (auntie) to support mothers. Regular ceremonies will be offered with cultural teachings, language and/or community events including weekly family cultural nights and seasonal feasts and drum socials. The outdoor features a play and ceremonial space that includes a medicinal garden a fire pit and a sweat lodge.
Children aged 0 to 6 will have access to play-based learning in a culture of inquiry and experience positive developmental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. Aboriginal families and caregivers will be able to strengthen their relationships with their children with the help of services and tools provided by the centre including on the land programming. As a community, at this centre, we will have a chance to build positive relationships with local service providers, including other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies to ensure that collaborative and integrated services are available to Aboriginal children and families that meet their unique needs.
A very special Chi Miigwetch to our generous funders. Indigenous Services Canada, City of Toronto Children’s Services, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Aboriginal community councils for their collective support. This multi-service centre will provide access to health and wellness for the community in the city of Toronto for years to come.
We are beyond grateful to the following funders and friends for their support in creating these multi-service centres. We could not have done it without you all!
NCFST Celebrates National Indigenous People’s Day
Today, on June 21, we celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day. This is a day where we acknowledge, honour, and participate in the rich and vibrant cultures of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities on Turtle Island. It is important that we celebrate this day because Canada has not always celebrated and respected Indigenous peoples, culture, and ceremonial practices. This year, celebrations will look different for two very important reasons. The first reason is that the typical ceremonies, Pow Wows and large community gatherings have been suspended in respect of local public health guidelines and community concern for health and safety. At Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, we are celebrating the Grand Opening of the new Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. We encourage folks to check out the virtual launch on our website. The other, more somber reason why our collective celebration is different this year has to do with the horrifying discovery last month of the remains of 215 Indigenous children near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the lands of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia.
The spring of 2021 will be forever remembered when Canada woke to the discovery of dead Indigenous children buried in their backyard and to the realization that Canada committed genocide. This visceral and naked moment has prompted many Canadian folks to reflect, educate and seek direction from Indigenous communities. For this we are encouraged. For Indigenous people, it is a reminder that our healing journey is ongoing, and feelings of anguish and anger permeate our consciousness. For this we are loving. For nine days beginning on June 1st 2021, NCFST sites across the GTA hosted Sacred Fires in honour of the 215 children found at Kamloops Indian Residential School to acknowledge the painful legacy of the Indian Residential School system. We recognize that more remains have been found and stand ready to support community as we continue our collective journey towards Healing & Reconciliation.
As we stand in the aftermath of the Canadian awakening some hard realities remain. Indigenous children and families continue to suffer due to the heavy burdens of a genocide that echoes through time. Many Canadians have tried to normalize or ignore inequities found in Indigenous communities; we know this cannot continue. We ask folks to visit the Indigenous Spirit Fund at www.indigenouspiritfund.org to learn more about reconciliation and how folks can support decolonization through philanthropy. Native Child and Family Services of Toronto was founded by the urban Aboriginal community of Toronto to address the aftermath of Indian Residential Schools and the over-representation of Indigenous children and families in mainstream child welfare. As an organization, we continue to remake inherited colonial structures and processes in ways that acknowledge, respect and include Indigenous worldview, knowledge systems, values, and approaches.
At NCFST, we believe that inter-generational Indigenous knowledge and practice play a crucial role in the well-being and health of all Indigenous people. Creating opportunities for collective experience and sharing our cultural gifts is how we keep our community strong and children thriving and safe.
PRESS RELEASE: NCFST’s Grand Opening of the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre
Toronto, Ont., June 18, 2021 – On National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2021, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is both excited and honoured to announce the opening of Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, located at 1290 Weston Road in York. This new multi-service centre will have several services including an EarlyON and the Kiiwednong Aboriginal Head Start program that will provide children, parents and caregivers access to culturally responsive programs and services in an inclusive and welcoming space that supports their well-being, enriches their cultural knowledge, and provides opportunities to strengthen relationships. Along with early years programming, the centre will provide supports for community members across all ages, including youth programming and Elder/Senior wellness programs.
This virtual grand opening will include a walk-through of the new site, video statements from Faisal Hassan, MPP for York South-Weston and Katharine Bambrick, the CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, as well as live speeches from Mayor John Tory, Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director of Native Child and Family Service of Toronto, and a traditional opening with a Community Grandmother.
The Centre will provide integrated services for Aboriginal children, families and caregivers that are culture-based and designed to engage parents and caregivers, support early learning and development, make connections for families, and meet the unique needs of Toronto’s Aboriginal community.
“We are envisioning these hubs as intergenerational spaces so we can see young kids engaging and interacting with their parents, but then also coming back for a culture night or a community ceremony with their grandparents, older siblings, and their friends, and I think having all of those generations interacting in one place is going to be very supportive for the community.” ~ Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer
Some of the programs and services that will be offered are drop-in and group programs, sharing circles, access to Knowledge Keepers and Elders on-site and ongoing parent and education supports, pre and post-natal programs in partnership with the Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Mommy Matters and Parenting Together Programs. One permanent Zhishay (uncle) to support fathers, and one Ninoshe (auntie) to support mothers. Regular ceremonies will be offered with cultural teachings, language and/or community events including weekly family cultural nights and seasonal feasts and drum socials. The outdoor features a play and ceremonial space that includes a medicinal garden a fire pit and a sweat lodge.
In 2019, the Native Child and Family Centre of Toronto received a $150,000 Capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to create a healing garden at the new Centre. OTF is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. It was awarded $115 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.
“As the MPP for York South-Weston, I can’t emphasis strongly enough how grateful I am to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the grant that helps establish the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre’s healing garden,” said Faisal Hassan, MPP. “Much good work has been done and now we will benefit as a community from the Mount Dennis Centre. I recognize and welcome initiatives that will help Indigenous families and children find a safe space of health and wellness in an urban setting. Thanks to the incredible staff and team at the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre that will do the important work that will enrich the lives of Indigenous youth through arts, culture and heritage.” ~ MPP Faisal Hassan, York South-Weston
Children aged 0 to 6 will have access to play-based learning in a culture of inquiry and experience positive developmental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. Aboriginal families and caregivers will be able to strengthen their relationships with their children with the help of services and tools provided by the centre including on the land programming. As a community, at this centre, we will have a chance to build positive relationships with local service providers, including other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies to ensure that collaborative and integrated services are available to Aboriginal children and families that meet their unique needs.
A very special Chi Miigwetch to our generous funders. Indigenous Services Canada, City of Toronto Children’s Services, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Aboriginal community councils for their collective support. This multi-service centre will provide access to health and wellness for the community in the city of Toronto for years to come.
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto also operates an EarlyON at Yonge and College, the Scarborough Child and Family Life Centre near Kingston and Galloway, Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, and a mobile Aboriginal fathering program, alongside many other programs and services. As EarlyON Centres are currently under a provincial closure order due to COVID-19, NCFST will continue to offer virtual and remote services from these new locations and continue to offer land-based programming in City of Toronto parks until they are permitted to open.
To register for this event please visit: https://kastio.com/ncfstmtdennis
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For more information contact:
Freida Gladue, Manager of Communications and Culture
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
437-244-2816 [email protected]
Virtual & Day Camp Registration is open for youth 6-16 years of age.
The deadline to apply for both camps is JUNE 15, 2021
VIRTUAL CAMP (6-16 years)
Virtual Camp will be offered to 3 age groups: 6-9, 10-12, and 13-16
DAY CAMP (6-12 years)
Day camp programs will be offered on the land in alignment with the Government of Ontario, Toronto Public Health, and Ontario Camps Association safety provisions. A guide will be provided to families in their welcome package with further details.
Campers will be placed within small groups between the age of 6-12.
We will offer a SCARBOROUGH (Joseph Brant PS*) and DOWNTOWN (Queen Alexandra*) location.
*Permits are pending for both locations.
APPLICATION PROCESS (BOTH CAMPS)
- Campers are only to apply for one opportunity VIRTUAL OR DAY CAMP (as they run at the same time).
- Applications must be completed by Camper’s Legal Parent/Guardian. For children who are in the care of NCFST, this means the NCFST Worker must complete the application/consent for the child (not the Resource Home).
- An application must be completed for each Camper. The deadline to apply for both camps is JUNE 15, 2021
- Applications submitted may not be all accepted due to numbers, selection criteria. Parent/Guardian/Resource will be notified of application status via email by June 18.
Submit a camper application for VIRTUAL CAMP (ages 6-16)
Submit a camper application for DAY CAMP (ages 6-12)
For more info email: [email protected]
GRUNDY LAKE OVERNIGHT CAMP (FAMILY CAMPS)
We are still in the process with solidifying our plans for Grundy Lake Overnight Camp, which due to COVID19 we hope to offer as a Family Camp this year. By offering small, family-cohort camps, we can ensure camper safety and compliance to all Ministry directives.
We will be asking that families submit an expression of interest (starting June 15) for this year’s very limited-space Family Camp (should we be able to offer). The link will be posted June 15th for families to add their name to the list. Stay tuned!
