Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Karla MacFarlane, Minister responsible for the Office of the Status of Women and Office of L'nu Affairs; Bernadette Marshall, President of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association; and Chief Robert Gloade of Millbrook First Nation, announced over $8.1 million in joint funding to support the construction of a new Resilience Centre in Millbrook.
"Millbrook First Nation's new Resilience Centre will provide much needed services to Mi'kmaw women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA individuals across Nova Scotia seeking refuge and respite. Through culturally-appropriate programming, users will be able to heal, build resiliency and reconnect with the customs and traditions that have defined our People for millennia," said Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.
"This Centre will help write a new chapter. One of healing, strength, and resilience, led by Indigenous women. The Province of Nova Scotia is proud to invest in this transformative project, which will provide trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate, healing and wellness programs that will help people to live happier, healthier lives," said the Honourable Karla MacFarlane, Minister responsible for the Office of the Status of Women and Office of L'nu Affairs.
"This is an historical moment for the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association and huge step forward. The NSNWA has come such a long way over the years, even from five to six years ago, so this Resilience Centre, which will be located in the hub of Nova Scotia, is an amazing achievement for our association. It is going to be able to help so many women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in our communities throughout Nova Scotia and help provide some much-needed healing for so many as well. We want to eventually see a Resilience Centre in every Indigenous community in our province. This Resilience Centre has been a dream of mine for years and now the dream is becoming reality, it's very exciting," said Bernadette Marshall, President of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association.
"We are thrilled and proud to be able to provide the land for the new Nova Scotia Native Women's Association Resilience Centre. When I was first approached by Karen Pictou, the Executive Director for the NSNWA, we didn't hesitate to come up with a solution for the land use for this important project. Millbrook and the NSNWA, along with the federal and provincial governments, are on a continuous path, making headway and joining forces to give back to the Mi'kmaw and Indigenous people in our community. I am privileged to be part of this historical moment," said Chief Robert Gloade of Millbrook First Nation.
The Resilience Centre will be dedicated to healing and resilience for Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA individuals, and their families. Users of the new, sustainable facility will be able to participate in art therapy, group sessions, maker spaces, a wellness centre, and spaces for culturally significant ceremonies and practices.
