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April 2003:
Earlier this year, Wigwamen was approached
by members of the Maadookii Seniors Centre at Chippewas of Nawash First
Nation to help with the development of their senior citizens' housing
project.
The Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, formerly known as Cape Croker
Reserve, is located on the west shore of Georgian Bay on the Bruce
Peninsula, just north of Wiarton. The community is home to just over
600 people, with another 1000 band members living off-reserve, and has,
among other attributes, an outstanding military history.
The residence for the community's elders, which will consist of 16
fully-adapted units, is scheduled to open in the summer of 2003.
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January
2003:
Rick Bratkowski: 1937 - 2003
It is with great regret that we announce
that former Manager of Wigwamen Terrace, Rick Bratkowski, passed away
January 7, 2003.
November
4, 2000:
Toronto 2000!
Between October 31 -
November 3, 2000, over 100 staff and Board members from 33 urban Native
housing organizations across Ontario gathered together for the "Toronto
2000 Urban Native Housing Conference." Sponsored by the Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing,
the conference is held in a different city each year. This fall it was
held at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, and was hosted by
Wigwamen Incorporated.
The purpose of this annual conference is to allow the staff and Board
member of urban Native housing groups to meet one another and to access
information related to such things as tenant relations, repairs and maintenance,
finance and budgeting, etc. At "Toronto 2000," conference participants
were able to register for a selection of courses including a full-day
course on communications and conflict management, a half-day session on
Myers Briggs personality trait testing, tendering and contract administration,
arrears, web page design, Aboriginal urban demographics, performance appraisals,
project budgeting, and capital reserve fund planning.
Besides the workshops, the conference also had an Aboriginal Craft Show
which featured artists and crafts people with beautiful paintings, quilts,
moccasins, dolls and more. Wigwamen own tenants Katie Pasquach, Yvonne
Beaucage, Norma Peters, and Shawani Campbell, were among the artists and
craftspeople there.
"Toronto 2000" was very much a team effort on the part of the
Board and staff of Wigwamen Incorporated. Special thanks to a number of
Wigwamen's business partners for their generous donations. The conference
stands out as something which all of us can be proud of for many years
to come.
Adene Kuchera
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April 24, 2000:
Aboriginal
Housing Support Centre
Link to Aboriginal Housing
Support Centre website
Serving as a central
agency for the provision of counselling and referral services to Aboriginal
individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless, Wigwamen's Aboriginal
Housing Support Centre officially opened on Monday, April 24, 2000.
In January of 2001, the City of Toronto, through the Homelessness Initiatives
Fund, awarded Wigwamen Incorporated with funding to continue the services
of the Centre for another year.
The Centre is designed for Aboriginal families and individuals in the
City of Toronto who are currently living in the private rental market
and who are experiencing issues of housing insecurity. Ramona Toulouse,
who is the Centre’s Coordinator, works with clients by providing
counselling services and referrals regarding, among other things, temporary
housing options, avoiding evictions, and general advice on making ends
meet. Clients are encouraged to apply for subsidized housing in the
city through Toronto Social Housing Connections. Free workshops, focusing
on a variety of topics of interest to Aboriginal tenants are regularly
offered by the Centre. A “Self-Help Guide” has also been published,
listing both Native and non-Native organizations and services in the
city that can assist in addressing issues of housing insecurity.
With renewed funding, the Centre will be able to continue with its current
activities, as well as initiating new ventures. First of all, it will
allow for more outreach in the Aboriginal community to encourage low-income
individuals and families to apply for social housing. Secondly, the
Aboriginal Housing Support Centre will be liaising with private market
landlords to develop new temporary accommodation options. Furthermore,
the possibility of setting up a rent bank for the Centre’s clients
will be explored.
If you know of any Aboriginal families or individuals who might need
some assistance in retaining their private market rental accommodation
and/or who might want to apply for social housing, please encourage
them to contact Ramona Toulouse at 416-482-3444.
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 Wigwamen
Incorporated
23 Lesmill Rd, Unit 106, Toronto, Ontario M3B 3P6
Tel:(416) 481-4451 FAX: (416) 481-5002 |
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