Thursday morning June 25 was a very important event for Frontiers foundation. Former Lieutenant – Governor of Ontario Hon. James K. Bartleman was Guest of Honour and keynote speaker at the Foundation’s Annual Breakfast held in Timothy Eaton Memorial Church’s Flora McCrea Auditorium. One hundred and twenty guests enjoyed fresh donated pickerel and trout brought all the way from Batchawana Bay on Lake Superior by Metis leader, Olaf and Iolene Bjornaa and a full menu prepared and served by Project Amik residents.
Rev. Dr. Jean Hunnisett welcomed everyone to the splendid venue, appropriately emblazoned with Project Amik and Operation Beaver banners and activity photos. New Frontiers Aboriginal Residential Corporation President Shelley Charles opened the event with prayer, followed by Frontiers President Lawrence Gladue’s congratulation to all who made 2008-2009 such a great year for Frontiers and New Frontiers. MC Sara Jane Souliere had a special welcome for Brian Monkman, Projects Director for the new Manitoba Division. Brian spoke powerfully about their new ‘Standing Tree to Standing Home’ program with the Cree Nation. Frontiers Foundation’s Executive Director Dr. Marco A. Guzman then presented four Volunteers of the Year Awards to Laura Morgan, Mike Welch, Peter Moran and Thunder Polson.
FF Founding Director Charles R. Catto introduced Hon. James Bartleman as an outstanding human being, a towering citizen and a forerunner – after 142 unforgivable years – of First Nations Royal presence at Rideau Hall.
Nearly seven years ago, in October 2002 Hon. Bartleman opened Project Amik, Toronto’s first affordable housing project in twelve years, declaring “Canada needs 1,000 Project Amiks” to house our country’s 250,000 homeless. Catto stressed strongly that almost all those clones are yet to be built.
Dr. Bartleman related to the rapt audience moving pieces of a lifetime close to all the hardships endured by First Canadians – third world housing, health and education conditions. Finally after appointment as Lieutenant Governor, he dedicated himself to a massive multi-faceted effort pursuing three priorities: fighting the stigma of mental illness, supporting anti-racism initiatives and encouraging Aboriginal young people. He implemented four Aboriginal literacy programs including province-wide book drives to establish libraries in Ontario’s native communities, a school twinning program, The Club Amick Reading Program for 4,000 native children and 36 summer reading camps for 2,500 children in Ontario’s north. The program closed with Huron and Algonquin drumming and singing led by Serge and Sylvie Gagnon, followed by African dancing and drumming by Manding Foli Kan Don.
Peter Moran, Volunteer of the Year Award recipient