Apr 22, 2022 | International
Patty Hajdu, the Federal Minister of Indigenous Services, announced that Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. will receive $1.8 million to support the construction of the Ka Ni Kanichihk Cultural and Wellness Centre.
April 21, 2022 — Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba — Indigenous Services Canada
Culturally relevant and culturally safe wellness programming is a critical component of supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples—no matter where they live.
Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. has been providing a variety of programs and services for Indigenous Peoples in downtown Winnipeg since 2001. These programs include a day care; cultural and social leadership development activities for Indigenous girls and Two-Spirit youth; prevention mentorship for boys aged 12 and younger who are at risk of conflicting with the law; and a healing program that focuses on the effects of trauma, cultural identity, empowerment, strengths and more for Indigenous women. Like many urban settings across the country, populations continue to grow, and the demand for services has quickly surpassed capacity.
Today, Patty Hajdu, the Federal Minister of Indigenous Services, announced that Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. will receive $1.8 million to support the construction of the Ka Ni Kanichihk Cultural and Wellness Centre. This investment is made available through the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples funding stream. This expansion project will double the number of people who can access wellness, education and training programs each year and will create unique spaces and new opportunities for people to heal, learn and train for jobs, all centred in culture.
Along with the investment from the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg and private-sector donors have also made contributions to this critical expansion. Construction on the project is ready to begin and is scheduled to be completed by June 2023.
This financial support from the Government of Canada for the Ka Ni Kanichihk Cultural and Wellness Centre project is part of a larger commitment to address the critical need for culturally safe spaces in cities and urban settings across the country. This responds to the call for action to prevent the loss of culture, tradition and language highlighted in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan—Urban Path to Reclaiming Power and Place, Regardless of Residency.
“Ka Ni Kanichihk’s Building a Home for Reconciliation initiative is a unique opportunity to move forward on reconciliation as this expansion will ensure thousands of Indigenous Peoples in Winnipeg are included economically, socially and culturally as the City’s Indigenous population continues to grow. Indigenous-led solutions are of the utmost importance in Canada; Indigenous Peoples know what we need to do to heal, and we know how to do it. This innovative approach presents a holistic, Indigenous designed and led solution and will include a much-needed central resource hub, a rare inner-city green space, a cultural centre, healing spaces, a daycare, and mental and physical wellness supports. This will be Winnipeg’s home for reconciliation, where we can all come together to support Indigenous Peoples and build a stronger community together. It also creates space for new, responsive programming to meet the community’s evolving needs.”
Yvonne (Dodie) Jordaan, Director of the Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.
“Culturally relevant and Indigenous-led wellness and training services are critical to supporting Indigenous Peoples living in Winnipeg. Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. has been providing a suite of healing, training and community development programs since 2001, and I am thrilled that Indigenous Services Canada can provide $1.8 million to support their expansion. Once complete, twice as many people will be able to access the space and its services and the centre will be a hub of activity, supports and services for those who need it.”
The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services Canada
“For over 20 years, Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. has been a leader in downtown Winnipeg, providing support to Indigenous Peoples through much-needed programs and services such as child care, cultural development activities and mentorship for youth. With our government’s investment of $1.8 million for a Cultural and Wellness Centre, Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc. will be able to can further support our city’s rapidly growing Indigenous population and offer a welcoming, culturally -relevant and safe space for years to come.”
The Honourable Daniel Vandal, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Northern Affairs
Alison Murphy
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services
Alison.Murphy@sac-isc.gc.ca
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Apr 19, 2022 | International
Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme 2023 calls for applications
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The Leisure and Cultural Services Department is inviting proposals from local performing artists and arts groups for the Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme 2023. The selected artists and arts groups will bring performing arts into the community through outreach activities in different districts.
Applicants should be registered local non-profit-making performing arts groups or ensembles of artists that have been active in the performing arts scene in the past year, and possess actual experience in public performance. Each applicant may submit one proposal, with a description of the theme or main content of the project using no more than 20 words.
The proposal should cover one performing arts form or more, such as Chinese opera/operatic singing, dance, music, theatrical arts (including drama, mime, magic and puppetry) and multimedia. Proposed projects may include performance, workshops, talks, demonstration, episodic performance, exhibitions or a combination of these activities.
The application guide and form for the scheme are available on the webpage of the Audience Building Office at www.abo.gov.hk or can be obtained by mail. The deadline for application is noon on May 31 (Tuesday).
For enquiries on the scheme, please call 2591 1611, email amab1@lcsd.gov.hk, or visit the website of the Audience Building Office.
Jun 8, 2021 | International
CE promotes Hong Kong as arts and cultural hub (with photo)
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The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, tonight (June 7) met with representatives of Mainland and overseas art galleries via a webinar. She briefed them on Hong Kong’s growing competitive edge as an international arts and cultural hub, and that it is the best time for them to expand their presence in the city. The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, and the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, also joined the webinar.
The webinar was organised by Art Basel, with which the Chief Executive has had close interactions over the years since Art Basel Hong Kong was hosted in Hong Kong some eight years ago. Apart from senior executives of Art Basel including its global director, Mr Marc Spiegler, the webinar was attended by a dozen of directors and founders of art galleries in major cities around the world, including New York, London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Athens, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta and Mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong has all along been an East-meets-West hub for international arts and cultural exchanges. To promote cultural co-operation, Hong Kong has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on cultural co-operation with 20 countries which facilitate cultural activities such as staff exchanges, education, training, research and business matching. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) had also signed MOUs with world-renowned museums such as the British Museum and the Gallerie degli Uffizi to strengthen cultural exchanges and co-operation between the parties.
“The professionalism and passion of Hong Kong’s museums are well recognised by the community of collectors and artists. In addition, Hong Kong is blessed with a rich private collection; many of the collectors are supporters of our public museums,” Mrs Lam told the participants.
“I am honoured and thrilled to receive on behalf of our public museums two remarkable donations from Chih Lo Lou Art Promotion Ltd and the family of celebrated artist Wu Guanzhong in 2018.”
Mrs Lam highlighted that Hong Kong is quickly developing into a major global art trading centre. Hong Kong’s competitive edge includes its low and simple tax regime with no customs duty, value-added taxes or estate duty on artworks, the freedom of expression enjoyed by people including artists, a robust intellectual property protection regime, and comprehensive private wealth management services available to collectors.
Mrs Lam noted that Hong Kong has been investing heavily in upgrading existing cultural hardware and building new facilities. The M+ Museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, which are expected to be commissioned at the end of this year and in the middle of next year, respectively, together with the renovated and expanded Hong Kong Museum of Art, will be cultural landmarks by the Victoria Harbour. Other hardware includes the host of museums managed by the LCSD, Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, the PMQ as well as prime Hong Kong exhibition venues including the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo. Coupled with the recent efforts of private developers to enhance artistic elements in their properties, members of the public are now able to sample a rich and colourful diversity of arts and cultural activities all around Hong Kong.
On top of the first-class arts and cultural venues, she pointed out that Hong Kong has a vibrant art scene and plays host to a number of large-scale and well-received annual international art fairs, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Central and the French May Arts Festival, attracting plenty of art lovers and members of the public on a yearly basis.
She pointed out that Hong Kong’s position will be further boosted by the “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035” approved by the National People’s Congress earlier this year, in which Hong Kong, for the first time, is encouraged to develop into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. She added that it echoed the directions of the Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Greater Bay Area promulgated in December 2020, which indicated support for Hong Kong to develop into a more competitive global platform for cultural exchanges.
“Given Hong Kong’s competitive edge and bright prospects in art and cultural development, and the recent drop in rentals in the commercial property market amid the epidemic, I believe that it is the best time for international art galleries and world-renowned artists to expand their presence in Hong Kong. I welcome you all with open arms,” said Mrs Lam.
