The Quebec Native Friendship Centre (Centre d’amitié autochtone de Québec – CAAQ) celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. Are you familiar with the assistance and integration services that the CAAQ offers to First Nations who arrive in the city for new challenges? Jacinthe Picard, Executive Assistant, offers an overview of the development of their range of new services.

Although the pandemic placed us in a special and often constraining situation, it also allowed the Centre d’amitié autochtone de Québec to confirm partnerships with the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de la Capitale-Nationale and the Ministère de l’Éducation, and for important projects to finally see the light of day. These valuable partnerships have enabled the CAAQ to improve its services for 2021-2022.

New projects

The year 2020 provided an opportunity to develop several new projects for the CAAQ, including a perinatal project, which will be integrated into the Community Action Program for Children (CAPC). This program will mainly offer a resource person who will work with pregnant women and new mothers by offering a calendar of activities and workshops that are adapted to their needs and related to the baby such as preparation and support for infant arrival, parenting skills and stimulation workshops.

The Nitnat project is another project that will fit into the calendar for First Nations overall community health. It consists of a health centre that will offer the services of CAAQ psychosocial workers and health professionals working together to provide culturally appropriate services. The annual calendar includes several activities related to health and social services, including various workshops, conferences, physical activities, etc. To be informed of the activities offered, subscribe to the CAAQ Facebook page.

A third project, En route vers la santé (on the road to health), which is focused on healthy lifestyles, has also seen the light of day! This project will offer services and advice from professionals, such as nutritionists and nurses, to present activities focused on health, collective cooking and more. The project consists of a full range of activities that are beneficial to the overall health of First Nations people in urban areas.

In addition, a service of paramount importance has been created. It consists of a partnership with the Ministère de l’Éducation to provide means to foster the integration and reception of Indigenous students in their study environment. Thus, a pivotal stakeholder will be in contact with the schools of the Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale.

Jacinthe Picard added that the Umeshkanam program serves as a great gateway to the CAAQ by allowing people to come and discuss, socialize and eat a tasty soup and bannock with people from different First Nations, who live in urban areas and who can find a dynamic team of stakeholders there.

A center for Indigenous people in Quebec City

Finally, if you are an Indigenous person living in Quebec City between the ages of 0 and 100, you are cordially invited to come to the CAAQ to participate in activities, access services that meet your needs or simply discover a wonderful community, socialize and forge bonds with other Indigenous people.

For more information on all the support services and activities offered, visit caaq.net.  Also, feel free to like their Facebook page.

To discover other projects and initiatives to support First Nations members, we invite you to visit our community support section.