The Funding Committee is a relatively new committee that was created to respond to Requests for Proposals for Research and Service that fit with the mandate of the Council. We have identified 4 primary areas that we will focus on this year: Poverty Issues, Youth Engagement, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal Relations and Homelessness. We have identified a number of grants for research and service that are either under way or in development.

1-The Community AccessAbility Program Grant Funding is a program that promotes community access to Thunder Bay's new Regional Hospital for people with disabilities.  The project is now underway and will continue over the summer with some focus groups.  The completion of the project will be 4 to 6 workshops addressing the opportunities for people with disabilities to access the new Regional Hospital.

2-Proposal to Justice Canada for “Youth Empowerment through Sports, Culture and the Arts Project”. This proposal investigates the creation of a youth options centre where activities of a creative and/or sports nature can be explored and expanded in an environment where staff provides positive role models and learning opportunities. Staffing will consist of artists, actors, musicians, child and youth workers, coaches and other experts who can provide hands on learning and skill development while offering themselves as positive role models. There will also be opportunities for life skill learning i.e. cooking, balancing a checkbook. In order to design the programs and the venue, it will be imperative to enter into dialogue with the arts community, sports community and the people who will be utilizing the program. The program can only meet the needs of youth in our community if they have input into its design and implementation. This is to be a program that also provides and internship for young people entering the workforce. Ultimately it may be able to provide a positive environment for youth who do not find comfort in the confines of the classroom or other traditional environments. The exploration of these options and the gathering together of partners would represent an opportunity for LSPC to facilitate the development of another project designed by the community to meet needs identified by that community.

3-Proposal to Social Sciences Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for an Aboriginal Research Pilot Project – deadline June 15 for Letter of Intent

This proposal is being developed with the Aboriginal Community through the Urban Aboriginal Strategy, where the LSPC sits in an advisory capacity. It is our intention to work with the UAS to determine the best use of funds that would be to aid in the research capacity of the Aboriginal community in Thunder Bay. The proposal is in its very early stages, with a meeting to discuss options set for May 25, 2004.

It is the ambition of the Funding Committee to identify and secure a number of projects that are focused on community capacity building and community-based models of research.

Respectfully submitted by
Doug West, Committee Chair