ABOUT | Wachiay

ABOUT US

Wachiay is a Cree word for “welcome.” At Wachiay Friendship Centre, we seek to welcome every member of our community and provide services reflective of the needs of urban Indigenous peoples and all those experiencing inequity.

We offer a wide range of programming rooted in Indigenous cultural teachings, including Elders, youth, and family programs, employment and life skills training, mental health and anti-violence programming, Clever Raven Aboriginal Headstart daycare, and more. We do community outreach and provide material support for those who are unhoused or facing poverty. We also provide the Comox Valley’s only Family Law and Poverty Law Advocacy programs. These varied services are always evolving to meet the needs of local peoples.

With these services, we aim to improve the holistic wellbeing of individuals, decrease social isolation, and strengthen our communities. Our many programs based in the Friendship Centre act as a web of support to hold up individuals and families from all walks of life, and we extend this network to the diverse peoples of north-eastern Vancouver Island and beyond.

Wachiay, we look forward to building connections with you.

OUR HISTORY

Wachiay Friendship Centre was started in 1997 by a small group of diverse Indigenous community members living in the Comox Valley who identified a need for services to support the urban Indigenous population. These original members developed the board and initial programs.

After years of service to our community, Wachiay joined the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and the National Association of Friendship Centres in the early 2000s, allowing us greater access to core funding and organizational support and collaboration.

Since 2010, growth has increased in pace with a focus on securing funding to provide as many services and resources as possible to our community. We have grown from an organization of under 15 staff to over 40, and were able to purchase our building in 2018 and expand our programming to fill the 20,000 square foot building we call home.

Clever Raven Aboriginal Headstart opened in 2019, and offers culturally grounded childcare to 30 children and a thriving community of support for families.

Wachiay now offers over 40 programs and services which are ever changing and growing to meet the needs of the urban Indigenous population and low-income individuals and families of all backgrounds. Additionally, we are developing social housing to meet the direct material needs of our community members, including a 40 unit development currently under construction on our property next door to the centre.

Our evolution continues alongside the communities we serve.