COMMUNITY CENTREPIECE
Jeff Barber, CEO of the Regina Public Library, Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre and Sandra Bellegarde, integration co-ordinator, check out the commercial kitchen in the mamaweyatitan centre, a unique community hub in North Central.
Years in the making, a new community centre in North Central Regina had its grand opening on Tuesday.
The mamaweyatitan centre, formerly known as the North Central Shared Facility, is the culmination of 14 years of planning.
“This is a unique institution and it does take time to … develop a shared vision,” said Mayor Michael Fougere, a longtime city councillor before becoming mayor in 2012.
Named after a Cree term meaning “let’s all be together,” the centre is a community hub with numerous tenants, including the Regina Public Library’s Albert Branch and Regina Public Schools’ Scott Collegiate.
The goal with mamaweyatitan was to create “a thriving, vibrant place” and “one that supports the North Central community’s vision of a safe, healthy and caring community,” said Jeff Barber, CEO of the RPL and chair of the mamaweyatitan owners’ group.
“It’s just really homey,” said Sheyenne Kay, a Grade 12 student at Scott.
An open-concept design allows for more opportunity to interact and be social with other students, teachers and community members.
It’s also much bigger than her old school, which opened in 1924 and was demolished in the summer. Its stone sign is situated at the new building’s north entrance.
Unlike at the old Scott, elders have a lot of room to hold ceremonies and smudging, said Kay.
Noel Starblanket is one of those elders, an elder-in-residence with the school division.
“The students are eager; they’re fun to be with,” said Starblanket. “It’s no different here in this community than with other schools, so I’m very proud of them.”
Starblanket called the centre “a real positive development” in the community and something to be proud of. He said 97 per cent of the school population is Indigenous.
The mamaweyatitan centre — spelled in lowercase letters, according to the Cree language — was funded by Regina Public Schools through the provincial government ($31 million), the City of Regina ($8.8 million), and the Regina Public Library ($2.4 million).
Other tenants include the Regina Police Service, the Scott Infant and Toddler Centre, Chili for Children, the North Central Community Association and Regina Education Against Child Hunger (REACH), which operates a neighbourhood food store.
Fougere said mamaweyatitan is a one-of-a-kind facility in Canada.
“The partnerships you have here … it is a unique circumstance and I think it’s a model that could be used right around the country,” he said. “The whole idea is that the sum is greater than their parts together, so I think we’ll see an incredible facility.”
Addressing the students in an opening ceremony, Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said the mentors in the school would help “engage you” and offer “an incentive to come to school.”
Increasing the graduation rates of Indigenous students is a ministry priority.
“The focus here is on success and on student success, and facilities such as this I think only help in that regard to help our young people reach their fullest potential,” said Eyre.
For Grade 9 student Tyrell Crowe, that will mean getting good grades and playing sports.
“One of my goals is to become a wrestler, so I hope I can get that accomplished in the near future,” he said.
Although he hasn’t seen all the features of his new school, the Albert library has been the best part.
“Reading’s like one of my favourite things to do, and I like playing their Wii,” said Crowe.
Barber said the new Albert branch has seen an increase in customers.
The science labs are among Kay’s favourite features about mamaweyatitan. A fan of math, biology and chemistry, Kay would like to be a neonatal intensive care unit nurse or a social worker after she graduates.
The centre has two gyms, one of which is a community multipurpose space that includes a stage.
The centre has a dance studio, a construction shop and a sound recording studio. A restaurant quality commercial kitchen will double as a cooking classroom and a cafeteria.
A second smaller kitchen is available to community organizations. Every Tuesday, seniors are provided lunch for $6 and can partake in recreational activities. On Thursdays, Chili For Children offers lunch.
In the years to come, outdoor improvements will be made, including a basketball court, soccer field and an Indigenous cultural space.