Ontario Funding Kenora Youth Wellness Hub Renovations

Province continuing to invest in key community infrastructure in the Northwest

KENORA – The Ontario government is providing $500,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to the Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA), also known as Ogimaawabiitong, to renovate the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub. This investment supports culturally appropriate health and social services for youth in the Kenora region.

“Our government is proud to invest in the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub, allowing the facility to expand programming and provide additional supports to youth and families with diverse needs,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora-Rainy River, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. “Targeted investments through the NOHFC, like the one we are celebrating today, are critical to promoting healthy, strong and vibrant communities across the Northwest.”

KCA is using NOHFC funding to add a kitchen, laundry room, shower and meeting room to the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub. These additions will allow youth to access life skills, share meals and hold gatherings at the facility. The hub serves youth aged 12 to 25 and provides employment, education, primary care, mental health and substance use supports.

“We are very appreciative of our continuous partnership with the NOHFC and the Ontario government,” said Chief Lorraine Cobiness, Board President, Kenora Chiefs Advisory. “Investing in our youth is an investment in our future. We have to ensure the spaces we create for them are not only safe but also have our culture incorporated into every element at a grass-roots level. When we incorporate our traditional and cultural elements into physical spaces, we are creating a feeling of home and community for our youth. The enhancements to the Kenora Youth Wellness Hub will increase our presence and fill service gaps we are currently facing.”

Incorporated in 1995, KCA is an alliance of nine First Nations in and around Kenora. Chiefs from each of the nine First Nations form the Board of Directors. The advisory provides services to address the needs and enhance the well-being of all its community members.

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $726 million in 6,128 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2.3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 9,500 jobs.

Quick Facts

  • The Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.

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