Government of Canada nurturing cross-cultural awareness in Newfoundland and Labrador through Canada Service Corps project

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

News release

Cross-Cultural Youth Project to empower youth to address needs of Happy Valley-Goose Bay

June 24, 2019              Goose Bay, Labrador              Employment and Social Development Canada

Canada’s future prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the experience and skills they need to start their careers and succeed. That is why today, Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, highlighted funding for the NunatuKavut Youth Community Engagement Project (NYCEP) in Goose Bay, Labrador.

The NYCEP project will provide multimedia training and work with 24 youth in eight communities to co-create meaningful service opportunities. Youth participants will spend a minimum of 120 hours over 12 months addressing issues and needs faced by their communities. This collaborative initiative aims to create a civic service mindset among young Canadians while nurturing Indigenous reconciliation and promoting mutual understanding and respect between Inuit, First Nations and non-Indigenous youth living in Labrador.

NYCEP is receiving over $550,000 for this project through the Canada Service Corps (CSC), Canada’s national youth service initiative. Now in its second year, the CSC provides access to service opportunities that enable youth to make a difference in their communities while gaining important life and work skills.

Quotes

“The Canada Service Corps is about giving young people the opportunity to give back and develop individual strengths. Through projects like the Youth Community Engagement Project our government is helping Canada’s young people gain essential life experiences and contribute to reconciliation within their own communities.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

“Programs like the NunatuKavut Youth Community Engagement Project provide youth with the opportunity to have meaningful impact in their communities. Young people are the key to real and lasting change, and our government is committed to giving them the best possible chance at success. Canada Service Corps offers youth the opportunity to get involved in causes they care about, and acquire leadership and life skills.”
–Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador

“On behalf of the NunatuKavut Community Council, we are pleased that this significant youth project was funded by the Government of Canada. It is an exciting multimedia project that engages NunatuKavut Inuit youth. It encourages them to become more involved and contribute to the life and wellbeing of our communities. It also brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth together on initiatives that help to foster reconciliation in NunatuKavut communities. We value and appreciate the perspectives of youth in telling our story in their own way. We need their energy, their strength and their skills to carry our culture, history and traditions forward. Their contributions now will help shape our path to the future.”
-Todd Russell, President of the NunatuKavut Community Council

Quick facts

  • Formed as a society in 1981 and incorporated under provincial law in 1986, NunatuKavut Community Council Inc. represents the Southern Inuit of Labrador, currently comprising over 6,000 individuals with links to 24 communities in Labrador.

  • The CSC helps young people gain valuable skills while making an impact on communities across Canada. The program is designed to build a culture of service among young Canadians; create concrete results for communities; enable personal growth through participation in a diverse team of peers; and make lasting impacts on participants.

  • To make the CSC Canada’s signature national youth service program, Budget 2019 proposed to invest up to an additional $314.8 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, with $83.8 million per year ongoing.

  • To make the CSC Canada’s signature national youth service program, Budget 2019 proposed to invest up to an additional $314.8 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, with $83.8 million per year ongoing.

Associated links

Contacts

For media enquiries, please contact:
Véronique Simard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
819-654-5611
veronique.simard@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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