As a service provider who works closely with Indigenous Peoples across several ancestral, traditional, and unceded Indigenous territories, Connective has a responsibility to take meaningful action toward reconciliation.

During Indigenous History Month, we commit to reflecting on and amplifying the unique cultures, traditions, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people across Canada.

Food insecurity is a serious public health problem in Canada. When people have access to affordable and nutritious food, they are healthier, more productive, and better able to focus on other areas of their lives, such as family and community. Without it, they are at greater risk for poor health and the development of a variety of chronic conditions.

The experience of food insecurity can take different forms, and families and individuals may go through different stages at different times, as the circumstances of their lives shift and change. Common measurements of food insecurity, ranging from more moderate to more severe, can include:

• Concerns about running out of food before there is more money to buy more
• The inability to afford a balanced diet
• Missing meals and going hungry
• Not eating for whole days because of a lack of food

With the cost of living continuing to rise, spending more to buy less is a reality for an increasing number of Canadian families – especially in the North. Though territorial data has been lacking for the last several years, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut have consistently shown higher rates of food insecurity than all ten provinces.

The most recent Territorial data available from PROOF, a leading voice on food insecurity research in Canada, showed that in 2017-18, 16.9% of Yukon households were food insecure.

Rates of Household Food Insecurity Across Canada, 2017-18

Responding to these sorts of complex challenges requires governments and community agencies to come together. That’s why earlier this year, in addition to serving meals at 405 Alexander and preparing takeaway meals for those in need, Connective was excited to broaden its support of local food security through a new partnership with The Safe at Home Society and the Council of Yukon First Nations.

This interim program started in January and will run until the end of March. It allows the kitchen team at 405 Alexander to prepare an additional ~470 meals per week, to be served at two community locations.

For Connective’s kitchen team, this opportunity to contribute to the community means a lot.

For our partners, this collaboration is helping to fill some urgent gaps. Safe at Home supports individuals who are experiencing homelessness and who are precariously housed. They also provide supportive housing for 29 individuals, at the site of the former High Country Inn. Many of those individuals are experiencing a multitude of barriers – food insecurity being one of them.

Safe at Home’s Executive Director explained how, “Folks with chronic health conditions, mobility issues, and/or who are active in their substance use need easy access to nutritious food. But affordable and safe transportation to the food bank, to meal programs, and grocery stores is a huge issue. Providing access to meals through our Warming Centre was an opportunity to bridge all of these gaps for those we support.”

Staff at CYFN felt similarly, “This is helping to fill the needs of people that are food insecure, and that are struggling to feed their families and meet the nutritional needs of growing children. The more we are able to work together on initiatives like these, the greater our impact will be in helping to create a better Whitehorse for all of us.”

This new partnership was made possible in thanks to funding from the Government of Yukon, through the Downtown Safety Plan Initiative. It is just one of the ways that Connective is working to expand support services for vulnerable populations in the community.

Since Connective began operating 405 Alexander in October of 2021, the kitchen team has served over 110,000 meals – for many in the community, this service is an important source of food security.

Earlier this year, Shawn (405 Alexander’s Kitchen Coordinator) and his team set out to overhaul the menu being served to residents and service users of the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter. With thousands of meals served up each month, this was a major undertaking.

“A lot of work goes into a menu, especially a major overhaul like we did. Running a 28-day rotating menu is very complex but provides a great value and variety.”

For Shawn and his team, the goal was to “create a more well-rounded and well balanced, nutritious diet, using more traditional food that service users would enjoy.” On paper the task sounds straightforward enough, but in practice, it was anything but.

From gathering service user input, to consulting Canada’s Food Guide, and considering portion sizes, traditional diets, and diverse food groups – the first step was ideation. After that, “the hard work begins.”

Staff had to build, test, and price individual recipes (sometimes as many as 3-5 per meal), work with suppliers to ensure that ingredients would be regularly available, and ensure that each dish ‘worked,’ so that “service and the flow of delivery was speedy and efficient.”

A handful of the meals prepared by the kitchen crew at 405 Alexander

The team also took special care to ensure that on days where pork or seafood were served, alternatives were available to meet allergy needs or dietary preferences. The results? So far, they speak for themselves.

It was a lot of work, but for Shawn and his team, it was well worth it.

“Food can play such a huge role in someone’s road to recovery…I have always preached that the kitchen is the heart of a home; it’s the family center, it provides comfort, laugher, and healing.”

“We are always trying to provide that at 405 – a safe, comfortable space for friends and family to come together.”

 The team also practice what they preach, taking the time to get to know everyone and asking about their day, their family, or their plans. “We take pride in the food we serve and do our very best to provide a positive dining experience.”

To learn more about some of the food in Whitehorse supports and services available at 405 Alexander, read out latest newsletter.

The ACES (Acquiring Community Based Employment Skills) program supports individuals facing multiple barriers to employment by providing training, employability skills, and job search assistance.

Thanks to additional funding from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, the program worked with more people than ever before last year.

Recently, we caught up with Mitch, a service user who took part in ACES trainings in Prince George. He graciously shared a bit about his experience, and how the employment services bc have helped him on his career journey.

When I first participated in the ACES program, I was in a place where I was struggling with addiction and ADHD. However, the program, specifically the first aid, S100 and S180 courses [Basic Fire Suppression and Safety, and Fire Entrapment Avoidance], gave me a sense of purpose and something to focus on. I found that learning these life-saving skills and earning certifications was a fulfilling way to stimulate myself and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Since completing the program, I have made significant progress in my personal and professional life. I have worked as an oilfield medic, become a firefighter, and earned several certifications and seals, including the NFPA 1001 and NFPA 1072 [Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications and Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications]. These certifications demonstrate my specialized training in firefighting and emergency response and show that I meet the rigorous standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

My journey as a firefighter was a challenging but rewarding experience, and I was able to further my knowledge and skills through the fire academy. I am now the lead rescuer in charge of 2-3 teams of emergency response technicians, and I am able to use my skills and experience to help others in their time of need.

One of the most impactful things about my journey is that I have been able to take my struggles and turn them into something positive. I have written a book about ADHD and ways to cope with it and have been published. I am also currently enrolled in 10 courses at Simon Fraser University aimed towards first responder trauma prevention and recovery, with a focus on psychology.

Working in a dangerous or highly stressful environment can put our psychological health at risk, just as much as our physical health. This course will provide me with a thorough understanding of mental health issues and the current mental health landscape in Canada. I will learn about several mental illnesses that I may encounter in my work, including schizophrenia, severe depression, personality disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I will also be introduced to the mental health continuum model for categorizing symptoms, as well as the myths surrounding mental health. The course will also cover various stressors and occupational stress injuries, and the attributes and benefits of good mental health.

We’re proud of all Mitch has gone on to achieve, and proud of all our ACES service users.

To learn more about the program and employment services bc, visit: https://connective.ca/services/aces/

It’s a fact of life that for most of us, through much of our adult lives, employment is an economic necessity. There are bills to pay, essentials to buy, and all of life’s little pleasures to interact with – everything from going to the movies, to trying a local restaurant, or picking up a new sport.

Beyond financial stability, though, employment often provides something more. Maybe it’s a chance to flex our creative muscles, put our problem solving to the test, or simply to take pride in a job well done.

For those facing complex barriers, meaningful employment is often a crucial part of the journey to building independence and experiencing success with self-identified goals. But while there are many traditional employment programs in our communities, many are simply not equipped for those facing more complicated situations. For these individuals, complete wraparound supports are needed.

What this looks like, in practice, can vary substantially from person-to-person. For Mandy, it means no two days look the same. Some mornings she is walking around outside with a client who has had tough day and needs an ear, and some afternoons she is at Mark’s Work Warehouse with her arms full of work gear for 20 different program participants.

Mandy knows how much it means to clients that we meet them where they’re at; “We get very varied requests that sometimes mean we’re doing things outside of our “normal” job description, but that’s the whole thing with wraparound supports – we recognize that for some people, other things may need to be built up before they can focus on employment.” Whether that means supporting clients directly or connecting them to other resources, ACES staff do everything they can to help build the conditions for success.

For those interested in getting involved with the ACES program, you can contact staff to learn more.

Email: aces@connective.ca

Call: 604-226-9360

For those in Kamloops, you can reach out to:

Email: kamloopsemploymentprograms@connective.ca

National Indigenous History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples, while also reflecting on the ways they have systematically and repeatedly suffered at the hands of Canada’s violent colonial past and present. Only by acknowledging, understanding, and confronting the totality of this history can we keep making strides toward a future defined by reconciliation.

National Indigenous History Month calls on all of us – as individuals, as staff working with Indigenous people, as an organization, and as a community – to actively contribute to this process. We’re honoured to be able to learn from Indigenous teachings and worldviews every day.

With this month top of mind, and with our new supportive housing program set to open shortly in Prince George, we’ve invited Natascha, who has been working to help shape the direction of the program’s Indigenous Liaison role, to share a bit about herself, her experiences, and the intentions of her work with the program in Prince George.