BCANDS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
NOVEMBER 20, 2006
Executive Director
Robert Harry
Welcome to our Annual General Meeting.
There have been many changes since our last AGM and with thanks to our Board of Directors and the dedicated staff we are striving to ensure that BCANDS is moving forward in a positive way.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, First Nations and Inuit Health, Ministry of Children and Families and the Provincial Health Authority for their continued support and trust in our Society.
We are nearing the five year end of our Consolidated Contribution Agreement with the First Nations and Inuit Health. We are preparing all the necessary documents required and have already began negotiations with FNIB to have a new five year Agreement in place by March of 2008.
Aside from our Contribution Agreement, FNIH had awarded BCANDS with two separate Targeted Projects. The first was BCANDS receiving funds to conduct a survey with our Elders at the Prince George Elders Conference in October of 2005. The Survey consisted of a questionnaire on how our Elders could be come more involved in the Head Start Program. Approximately 800 Elders participated and we have since forwarded these findings to FNIH. This Evaluation will be concluded by March 31st, 2007 and presented to FNIH for their review.
We also received funding from FNIH to conduct an Evaluation on our Society. This process is in preparation for our Society to enter into a new agreement with FNIH for the next five years (2008-2013).
BCANDS has managed the Aboriginal Health Resource centre since April 1998. The Resource Centre is responsible for lending out health information materials, videos and kits to First nations Community health Nurses, Health and Social Development Representatives, Drug and Alcohol Counselors, Sexual Abuse Workers and Aboriginal Practitioners who work directly with Aboriginal people.
The mandate of the Aboriginal Health Resource Centre is to operate, manage and administer and to provide information services to health programs to Aboriginal Communities in British Columbia.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s funding was once again awarded to BCANDS for the year 2006. These funds are used to keep our 1-800 Advocacy and Referral lines open. The Board of Directors has viewed this as a crucial link to our members and has instructed the Administration to seek funds for its continuation. These funds also assist our Society in paying for rent, travel costs and overhead. For the past few years the cost of running our Society has increased significantly. This is the main reason why we are unable to sponsor any one to come to our 2006 Annual General Meeting.
We were fortunate to receive funding from the Ministry of Children and Families to contract an individual to develop a curriculum and then facilitate work shops on Vancouver Island on Key Worker Training. This is an innovative concept of teaching front line workers on reserve to help assist families and individuals who are either working in the area of FASD or with people afflicted with FASD. The approach is to educate all participants in the steps needed to receive appropriate care.
BCANDS is presently working on many different projects for the up-coming year.
In addition to the above, we have secured a two year extension of our Protocol Agreement with the First Nation Summit.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all the Board of Directors and Staff of the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society. Since my last report, we have had many changes and challenges that were very disruptive and at times very discouraging. During this process we have had staff changes and some of our Board of Directors members resigning. Through all this adversity, many of the Board of Directors stayed on and continued to advocate for our Society. I applaud each and every one of them for their courage. During this time of uncertainty many of our staff members were affected quite deeply. The Staff had to go through many hard times and faced an uncertain future. To their credit, they persevered and were very instrumental in ensuring that our Society survived. All the staff of BCANDS should receive special recognition for their courage and tenacity.
In closing I would like to thank our President, Mike Touchie for his dedicated service to BCANDS for the past fifteen years. Mike has been with BCANDS since 1991 and has informed us that he will be not be seeking re-election. It is with a sad heart that I wish him farewell and I do wish him the best in his future endeavors. When I started my tenure with the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, Mike was there supporting me from the start. I can never thank him enough for all that he has done for this Society. In the past year he has had to make difficult decisions regarding our Society. At times he had to forego friendship to make decisions and that is an indication of a strong leader.
I would also like to acknowledge Frazer Smith for his work with BCANDS this past year. Along with our Advisor Blair MacKenzie, we have been able to stabilize our Society and move forward in a positive way. We have made important contacts with Health Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and different Ministries within the Provincial Government. We will continue to pursue these Government agencies and pressure them into fund our Society at a higher level so that we can better serve our Aboriginal People with Disabilities in BC and Canada.
Respectfully submitted by;
Robert Harry
Executive Director
BCANDS