Indigenous Wildfire Firefighter program in Quesnel gets passing grade
SHARE ON: Quesnel Friendship Centre (GHenderson MyCariboonow-staff)
It looks like the Quesnel Tillicum Society/Native Friendship Centre’s Indigenous Wildfire Firefighter program is a success !
Executive Director Tony Goulet says it has been extremely well received.
“Really good and today (Monday) was the first day. We have 20 participants which is what we were looking for as the max and they had their first full day of introduction and training and here we go.”
Goulet says it didn’t take long to fill up the class.
“It was through an on-line process and an application process, and it was quite surprising because it filled up, we knew we had 20 probably about two weeks ago. And we do have some people who are on a list in case something happens.”
New apartment building being proposed on North Fraser Drive in Quesnel.
SHARE ON: Quesnel Friendship Centre (GHenderson MyCariboonow-staff)
The new multi-unit residential development would be located on 11 lots where the Native Friendship Centre site currently is.
Tanya Turner, the Director of Development Services, went over a few of the details at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting…
“Between the existing Friendship Centre and the daycare center building there is currently a vacant portion of land that is used for parking. The Quesnel Tillicum Society is intending on constructing a new 5-storey, 34-unit apartment building where this parking area is located. The units are to be geared towards low income individuals.”
New Indigenous Wildfire Firefighter program has been announced in Quesnel
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The Quesnel Tillicum Society/Native Friendship Centre will be running a Wildfire Firefighter program.
Executive Director Tony Goulet says it will be a 6 week program beginning on March 1st…
“We’re going to train 20 indigenous youth, or 20 indigenous people in fire fighting, give them all the skills, all the equipment, everything that they need, and at the end of the program we’re hoping that Quesnel Tillicum Society will have a crew ready to go out and fight forest fires.”
Goulet says they are working with the senior governments to make sure that they are registered and can bid on forest fighting contracts.
PG Native Friendship Centre says more needs to be done to assist homeless population
SHARE ON: A photo of downtown Prince George early in the morning. (Photo supplied by MyPGNow.com staff)
Prince George’s first true stretch of winter is expected to provide some challenges to our homeless population as well as those accessing food banks.
PG Native Friendship Centre Executive Director, Barb Ward-Burkitt told
MyPGNow.com while our homeless population is scrambling to seek shelter, finding a place to stay is only half the battle.
“It’s not just about providing a bed and a meal. We want to work with individuals to get them to the point where they can perhaps get into independent housing, get connected to housing and health supports.”
If there is much new in the latest report for the downtown area, it’s that this report is the result of the collaboration of many groups and agencies in the city.
It involved the city, Northern Health, Chamber of Commerce, Initiatives Prince George, Downtown Prince George, the Native Friendship Centre, social service providers, the RCMP, ministry of social housing and development representatives, and more.
It is a broad-based report. Of that there is no doubt. Does the report have any new magic bullet for the downtown area? Not really. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before. We’ve all known for a long time what needs to be done to improve the downtown area. It’s just a matter of getting it done. And that’s not an easy task.