Blackfoot Resource Hub gets annual funding recommendation

The Cultural and Social Standing Policy Committee is recommending Lethbridge city council approve nearly $500,000 in annual funding for the Blood Tribe/ Kainai Nation to deliver the Blackfoot Resource Hub Services.

The committee is also asking council to authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute any further documents that may be required regarding the $496,248 funding for the hub.

The committee was told in its Jan. 20, in response to a question from councillor John Middleton-Hope, that the City does not pay for any of that funding.

Instead it comes mainly from the federal government with some monies provided by the province.

Martin Thomsen, general manager of Community Social Development, told the committee the funding is for a four-year term which can be renewed annually by the City.

“The original allocation was made through council last year and it’s a fouryear term. It’s actually an annual allocation where the City of Lethbridge has the right to renew it annually based on performance. So in alignment with this funding, will be an agreement with performance management, KPIs (key performance indicators) and outcomes defined that will be reviewed and if all is going well, it will be renewed up to a maximum for a total of three years.”

The original allocation for all agreements started in January 2021 for a fouryear allocation, Thomsen said.

In response to a question from councillor Jeff Carlson, Thomsen said “the funding is from the federal government, the majority of it is from the Reaching Homelessness Indigenous funding stream with some funding from the provincial homelessness program.”

Thomsen said last year funding was approved and allocated to the Sik-OohKotoki Friendship Society but because of “unforeseen organizational issues and they had some key staff that are no longer with the organization, Sik-Ooh-Kotoki was unable to fulfill the agreement. And so the City of Lethbridge engaged in a procurement process, an RFP, to solicit a new service provider and the Blood Tribe was the successful proponent,” Thomsen said.

“So we are in the process right now of refining the agreement and the deliverables and the targets and outcomes,” he added.

Thomsen said the process is “that we seek approval, of course through first the Community Well Being and Safety Committee and then go to council for approval for the allocation. Once approved, then we proceed with the actual contract and agreement.”