Friendship centre closes after protest
The Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary temporarily closed it doors in the wake of an apparent dispute involving elders and a new board member over the dismissal of centre staff members.
A notice of closure was tacked on the locked door of the centre, at 427 51 Ave. S.E., after a number of elders staged a peaceful protest Tuesday afternoon inside the building. The protest ended when police were called.
“The Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary considers the safety of all our employees, community members, guests and clients to be of paramount importance,” the sign says.
“In light of the recent protest held, without advance notification, inside this facility, we believe that it is appropriate to close the centre until further notice.”
Meanwhile, a number of elders returned to the site Wednesday to continue their protest.
They claim the new board member, about whom they know very little, took on the role of acting executive director a month ago, even though the job wasn’t posted. They allege he then fired five employees, as well as the executive director, without cause.
Protest organizer Lorna Born With A Tooth said two of the employees, in particular, were “instrumental” in getting the friendship centre open, and fear that some of the programs they spearheaded — including initiatives to help the homeless — will suffer with their departure.
Born With A Tooth said native elders are usually consulted on major decisions by the centre, but in this case they were left out of the loop.
With the centre closed, the elders — who typically meet every Tuesday to socialize — are worried about having no place to go.
“We are in dire straits right now,” Born With A Tooth said.