News & Media

BCAAFC News & Media

The Friendship Centre Movement is made up of over 100 Friendship Centres all across Canada. The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) is the umbrella organization for the 25 Friendship Centres in British Columbia. Friendship Centres provide culturally relevant programs and services for Indigenous people living in urban communities. Collectively, they are the most significant off-reserve Indigenous service delivery infrastructure.

You can learn more about BC Friendship Centres here.

Contact Info

If you have a media-related request or are a member of the media and are looking for comment, please contact communications@bcaafc.com.

Find us online

BCAAFC currently uses Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, please give us a follow. We also have social media platforms for Gathering Our Voices, our annual Indigenous youth leadership event.

Statements and Media Releases

BC’s Two Largest Indigenous Organizations Unite to Strengthen Urban Indigenous
Housing and Services (10/2025)

Applications Open for MBA in Advancing Reconciliation (08/2025)

Grants Open for Indigenous-led Solutions to Gender-Based Violence (08/2025)

The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres Welcomes New Executive Director (07/2025)

Twenty-two students graduate from first-of-its-kind MBA in Advancing Reconciliation (06/2025)

Canada’s Largest Indigenous Youth Conference Comes to Kamloops (03/2025)

Volunteers needed at Canada’s largest Indigenous Youth Conference (01/2025)

BCAAFC Announces Transition in Leadership (10/2024)

BCAAFC’s Response to the Canadian Medical Association’s Apology (09/2024)

BCAAFC Supports the 2024 B.C. Poverty Reduction Strategy (07/2024)

Letter of Support for Preserving Evidence in the Pickton Case (12/2023)

Statement on the Hyatt Regency’s Apology (03/2023)

Racism against Indigenous Cultural Leader by Hyatt Regency Vancouver Staff Prompts Call for Action (03/2023)

Statement on Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs (02/2023)

Statement in Solidarity with the Families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (12/2022)

Annual ‘Gathering Our Voices’ Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Event Scheduled to Return in March 2023 (08/2022)

Report Highlights Increased Violence Against Indigenous Women During COVID (07/2022)

Custom MBA in Indigenous Reconciliation (07/2022)

Indigenous People Will Have Safer Access to Community Social Services (07/2022)

Path Forward Community Fund Announcement (04/2022)

BCAAFC Responds to UNDRIP Implementation (03/2022)

AHMA and BCAAFC Joint Response to B.C. Budget 2022 (02/2022)

BC Friendship Centres Response to Climate Crises (11/2021)

Indigenous-led research project will improve support services for Indigenous women and children facing intimate partner violence (10/2021)

Partnership with TELUS will Provide Mobile Phones to Indigenous Women and Girls (10/2021)

Statement in Support of Healthcare Workers and Patients Accessing Care (10/2021)

Annual Gathering Our Voices Youth Leadership Event Cancelled (08/2021)

Statement in Support of Indigenous Elders, Families and Communities Impacted by the Residential School System (05/2021)

Indigenous Leaders Call for Inquiry Into Recent Deaths of Residents in BC Housing Facility (04/2021)

Indigenous People are a High Priority to Receive COVID Vaccinations (04/2021)

More Support for Friendship Centres Benefits Urban Indigenous People During Pandemic (12/2020)

Racist Game Played by Hospital Staff is Unacceptable (06/2020)

How Friendship Centres are Supporting Communities During COVID (04/2020)

Friendship Centres work to Provide Essential Services During COVID Pandemic (04/2020)

BCAAFC in the news

‘Justice delayed is justice denied’: People still fighting for change 6 years after MMIWG2S+ report
CHEK News — June 6, 2025

Consultations begin on Parliament Hill about Red Dress Alert system
APTN News — March 19, 2024

Province supports people in B.C. during winter conditions
BC Gov News — Nov 23, 2023

Indigenous-driven solutions lead the way on Path Forward
BC Gov News — June 3, 2023

Vancouver hotel apologizes after ‘racist’ incident involving Indigenous cultural advisor
Global News — March 16, 2023

Indigenous group levels allegation of anti-Indigenous racism over hotel men’s room incident
CBC — March 10, 2023

‘Racist’ incident at Vancouver hotel condemned by Indigenous friendship centre association
Global News — March 10, 2023

UVic to offer world’s first MBA in Indigenous reconciliation
CBC — July 23, 2022

COVID worsened domestic abuse for Indigenous women: B.C. report
Vancouver Sun — July 13, 2022

Advocates call for culturally appropriate services for Indigenous women facing violence
CBC — July 13, 2022

Indigenous people will have safer access to community social services
BC Gov News — July 8, 2022

Association of friendship centres to steer $5M fund for Indigenous safety planning
Vancouver Sun — April 12, 2022

Indigenous-led organization to manage, distribute safety-planning grants
BC Gov News — April 11, 2022

B.C. Housing conducts review on supportive housing deaths, but falls short of investigating their cause
CBC — Feb 25, 2022

First Nations leaders urge B.C. Housing to investigate Indigenous deaths at supportive housing
CBC  — April 23, 2021

New online tool allows Indigenous patients to anonymously report racism in health-care system
CBC — March 25, 2021

Indigenous friendship centres hit hard by skyrocketing requests for help, advocate says
CBC — April 22, 2020

Has Canada’s urban Indigenous population been forgotten amidst the coronavirus pandemic?
Toronto Star — April 16, 2020

What COVID-19 means for urban Indigenous communities
CBC — March 27, 2020

Local Indigenous youth travel to annual Gathering our Voices event
North Island Gazette — April 29, 2019