Reflecting and Connecting for Truth and Reconciliation at Moonlight Bay

The fire crackles in front of 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers sitting in a circle sharing, reflecting, and trying to imagine a more positive future for their communities. They were all invited to Moonlight Bay Centre for a retreat to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day that can be especially difficult for these Leaders in their communities.  

Many of them have either witnessed firsthand the atrocities of residential schools or have close family members who have shared their own stories (if they came home at all). And while the Elders and Knowledge Keepers reflected on the past and the challenges of the present, a new feeling emerged, seemingly from the embers and ashes dancing off the campfire.  

They felt hope for the future.  

Thoughtful Reflections Sitting by the Water 

While this retreat included much of what someone might expect to find at an all-inclusive resort, the true aim for this event was to pay homage to the hard work of Elders and Knowledge Keepers acting as near-constant beacons of hope, helping their communities to safer waters. And while grief and reflection were ever-present, so was friendship, comradery, love, and optimism that they will continue navigating troubled waters. 

“Many of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended told me they had no idea we had a property so close to the water like this,” says Janet Paskemin, Manager of Indigenous Cultural Supports. Moonlight Bay Centre sits on Wabamun Lake with wonderful views of the water and surrounding woods.  

“Just being by the water can do a lot for Elders and Knowledge Keepers,” says Janet. “It can help them clear their minds, reflect more thoughtfully, and think much clearer. For a lot of this retreat, the Elders and Knowledge Keepers sat by the lake, sometimes talking but more often just in silence with each other.” 

Comradery, Friendships, and the Gifts of Food 

While some of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended were longtime friends, just as many had never met — despite this, the comradery was more than evident. These bonds formed sitting by the lake, solidified by the fire, but it was in the kitchen where one of the strongest gestures took shape. 

Food Sovereignty is an act where visitors to Indigenous Nations would receive food as a token of gratitude and friendship. True to honouring the customs and traditions from Indigenous Nations, one Elder, who was previously a Chef, insisted on making home-made pancakes for everyone at the retreat. 

“In truth, he wanted to give something to his friends, the same way we were giving so much to everyone during that retreat,” says Janet. “It’s hard to understate how important gestures of honour, friendship, and love are for the Elders and Knowledge Keepers.”  

Hope for the Next Generations 

Janet recalls one thing she heard time and time again throughout the retreat: that the Elders and Knowledge Keepers see the work that’s being done for Indigenous Peoples by so many young people. She expressed how the Elders and Knowledge Keepers are so incredibly hopeful for the next generations to continue improving the lives of others. 

We were honoured to host the 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers at Moonlight Bay Centre to acknowledge National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We’re proud knowing that these important leaders in their communities had an opportunity to not only rest and reflect but to connect, share, express, and revitalize. 

Education, Advocacy, and Support: How Community Bridge Prevents Evictions

Too many Edmontonians face a difficult decision every month — pay bills or pay rent.

This was the reality for Katherine (name changed to protect privacy) — and she almost lost her home. As a single mother of two with a part-time job and extra monthly support coming from Alberta Income Support, she was still falling behind and facing an imminent eviction.

After working with her employer to change her job to full-time, she lost her Alberta Income Support benefits and found herself still needing extra help to ensure she and her two sons wouldn’t be evicted from their home. With the eviction notice in-hand, she connected with our Community Bridge program for help.

The main goal of Community Bridge is to prevent evictions and ensure people at risk don’t experience homelessness. Through financial education, benefits navigation, and direct financial assistance, this program seeks to not only prevent immediate evictions, but also help ensure individuals don’t have to face these challenges again.

“Katherine came to us already taking the initiative to change her part-time work to a full-time job,” says Katrina John-West, Manager of Homelessness Prevention and Housing Support with Bissell Centre, where she oversees the Community Bridge program. “Her Alberta Income Support had ended and having a full-time job still wasn’t enough to help her catch up.”

How Community Bridge Helped Katherine

To ensure Katherine could break from this cycle, the Community Bridge team helped her in three areas to pay off her remaining debt and guarantee her housing stability. The first step was making sure Katherine could receive emergency income benefits from Alberta Income Support.

“What some folks don’t know about Community Bridge is we can act as advocates for people,” explains Katrina. “We can also make references to other sources of financial assistance that folks might not know exist.” In addition to advocating for Katherine’s Alberta Income Support emergency benefits, the Community Bridge team connected her with benefits from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Financial benefits helped, but didn’t cover all her debts — which were collecting interest.

The second approach to helping Katherine came in a one-time, interest-free loan from the Community Bridge program. This lump sum assistance is, on average, paid back within one year of receiving it — even without any timelines or pressure from Community Bridge. “How quickly and frequently folks can pay back this assistance shows us how much we’re helping their financial situations,” says John-West. “It’s setting people up for the best successes possible so they can become empowered with their finances.”

The third type of support Katherine received was a referral to Civida, Edmonton’s largest affordable housing provider. This referral was for additional rent assistance benefits, but many qualifying folks also find new and more affordable homes with Civida — further breaking the cycles faced by countless Edmontonians.

Avoiding Eviction, Controlling Finances, and Finding Stability

Today, Katherine remains in her home with her two sons, now both teenagers and preparing for adulthood. She’s regained control of her finances, cleared out all her debts and arrears, and continues to work full-time while maintaining her household.

“Katherine is a really special success story,” says Katrina. “Many times, we’re meeting people who are in the middle of being evicted or aren’t able to work. Katherine was doing everything right and the odds were still stacked against her. Everything she needed was within reach — she just wasn’t sure where to look. I’m so proud that the team could point her in the best direction for her and her family.”

Thanks to support from ENMAX, the Community Bridge team can continue connecting with folks at risk and prevent them from being evicted and facing homelessness. “We believe in empowering our communities and helping more people access the essentials for a healthy, thriving life,” says Krista Moroz, Manager, Community Partnerships & External Relations at ENMAX. “By supporting Bissell’s Community Bridge Program, we’re not just helping individuals and families in crisis — we’re also investing in the long-term strength of our community and a brighter future for all Edmontonians.”

From January to October 2024, we helped 464 individuals, just like Katherine, facing immediate evictions from their homes. Best of all, 96% of the people we help through Community Bridge stay in their homes. We can’t thank organizations like ENMAX enough for their support — without our generous funders, we wouldn’t be able to offer the crucial help that’s needed throughout our city.

Farewell to Gary St. Amand

After nearly twelve years of dedicated leadership, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Gary St. Amand as CEO of Bissell Centre. Gary’s time with us has been nothing short of transformative. From the beginning, his vision focused on supporting people and communities to move out of poverty and homelessness.

“When I accepted the role of CEO, a Board member gave me wise counsel. He said, ‘Keep the people you serve at the centre of everything you do, and you’ll be ok.’ That is something that I clung to and has centred my decision-making through the years.”

Gary St. Amand’s Lasting Legacy with Bissell Centre

Gary St. Amand started with Bissell Centre at a significant time in our city’s history. The 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in Edmonton had launched in 2009, and the community had begun to explore new ways to address poverty in the community.

In 2012, he joined the team as the Chief Programs Officer, transitioned to interim CEO in 2015, and was appointed permanent CEO in 2016. “I’m the 11th leader of this organization,” comments Gary. “This organization has existed for nearly 115 years. Having leaders hold their positions for this long is a true testament to Bissell Centre’s constitution.”

Gary’s passion and dedication have left a lasting impact. During his tenure at Bissell Centre, Gary initiated and oversaw the development of numerous initiatives including a crisis diversion program, the development of Hope Terrace, a supportive housing facility for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, the Outreach Housing Team. He also championed the Community Bridge — our eviction prevention program, Financial Empowerment, and Community Space. Under Gary’s leadership, Bissell Centre expanded its respite Child Care and Family Supports program, formed an Indigenous Engagement team, and implemented the Bissell Self-Sufficiency Matrix, a comprehensive data and evaluation system.

“I remember saying to our team — if asked, ‘how many people have you helped move out of poverty’, I wouldn’t have a way to answer that meaningfully for them. I could tell them how many meals we served and articles of clothing we gave out, but we had no way of knowing whether those things actually helped someone move out of poverty.” This led to the journey of developing a data system that provides a snapshot of how Bissell’s work contributes towards real change in an individual’s lived experience with poverty.

Bissell’s housing teams housed 500 people and helped over 500 people avoid eviction last year alone under his leadership. Over the past three years, the Financial Empowerment program has helped over 6,000 people receive over $20 million in tax returns. This has resulted in real, measurable change for thousands of individuals and families.

And while data has been critical to Bissell Centre’s journey as an organization, seeing the efforts made to learn and tend to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility bore fruit for us in a variety of ways. “It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of work for me personally,” says Gary. “Seeing us learn what it means to be good allies, building relationships with our Indigenous partners and communities, and putting in the hard work to ensure those values are lived out internally at Bissell has been huge.”

Overcoming Challenges

Gary would be the first to acknowledge that the work hasn’t always been easy. “COVID-19 was devastating to the community. With almost no notice, the services and supports people relied on were either gone or significantly reduced.”

In an incredible collaborative effort, numerous partners, including Bissell Centre, created a day service and medical shelter for those without homes within which they could safely shelter.

“I remember the announcement from Premier Kenny that was made on Friday, and by Monday, three days later, our collective of partners opened the doors. We doubled in size in a matter of weeks, relocated many of our programs to the Edmonton Expo Centre, all while trying to figure out, like everyone else at the time, what COVID-19 meant for us as people and employers.

During the first two years of the pandemic, our services continuously adapted to the rapidly changing challenges of poverty. Families and individuals who had never faced financial hardship before suddenly found themselves without options. “The Community Bridge, our eviction prevention program, was inundated with new applications — many from people who had never needed assistance before.”

In addition to COVID-19, another epidemic soon reared its head. Deaths by poisoning due to substances laced with lethal ingredients soared. “When I began working at Bissell Centre, I had not even heard of Naloxone. Never could I have imagined a moment when I would attend a memorial for over 400 people who died while having no home – many of them due to the toxicity levels in narcotics.”

In recent years, the dramatic increase in the cost of living, rental rates, and vacancy rates has further compounded many of the challenges faced by those living with the challenges of poverty. Last year alone, rental rates for single bedroom units increased by 23%.

When asked how he remained positive in the face of these difficult realities, Gary responded, “Because I see the resiliency of those with whom we have the privilege of working alongside, and I see the determination of our incredible team members at Bissell Centre, and our partners and I remember that in our long history, this isn’t the first time the storms have threatened. We have seen time and time again when we keep working together despite what is happening around us, and regardless of where we are situated in our communities, we can endure those storms. We can continue to build a better future for all of us.”

New Opportunities

As Gary continues his personal and professional journey, he will continue to carry his human-centered values into the national context.

“I am so deeply grateful to our team, board members, partners, donors, volunteers and everyone who has leaned into strengthening our communities and worked to make them accessible for everyone.”

“In particular, I want to thank the many people who have come through our doors. I have learned so much from you over the years — lessons on being generous despite having very little, staying hopeful when things feel hopeless, and remaining kind when the world around you feels uncaring.”

We couldn’t agree more! Thank you for 12 years of leadership and wisdom, Gary.

Honouring the Pride Woven into Indigenous History

June is an important month for Bissell Centre – it’s both Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month. There is a close connection between what Pride Month is all about and Indigenous history in our country. 

Countless Indigenous Nations across what’s now called North America saw Two-Spirit Peoples as not only an engrained and normalized part of their culture — Two-Spirit Peoples were often highly regarded and seen as a gift from the Creator.  

“They were a very important part of Cree society,” says Elder Ed Lavallee. He is a traditional Plains Nehiyaw (Cree) of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan whose career in advocacy for Two-Spirit Peoples has seen him collaborate with groups like Pride Edmonton, the Edmonton Queer History Project, and the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society. Quotes from Elder Ed Lavallee reflect the distinct experience of the Plains Nehiyah Peoples. 

“They had many roles in the daily lives of their people and were respected and revered for being Two-Spirited. They were often healers, shamans, mediators in marriage and tribal disputes, keepers of their history and their lore, and taking part and often leading in their social and Spiritual Ceremonies.” 

While colonial efforts tried to wipe out any non-conformity from a person’s ascribed gender, the presence of these folks never went away. It wasn’t until 1990 that this way of being was finally given a general English translation to help people across Canada understand that, for countless Indigenous Peoples today, there are far more than only two genders. 

The Five Genders 

For Indigenous Nations in what’s now called Alberta, there are five genders in the community: male, female, male with female spirit, female with male spirit, and transgender.  

“Indigenous people believe that both the female and male spirits reside in the body of a Two-Spirit Individual and the degree of dominance of each spirit ultimately impacts the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual identity of each Two-Spirit person,” says Elder Ed Lavallee. 

Rather than trying to change people to better fit with the gender they were born with, Indigenous Nations instead made room for these people and ensured they could contribute to the community with the tasks and skills they identified with most. 

Males with female spirits could take on cooking and cleaning duties, were widely seen as gifted artists, and some Nations even saw them adopt orphaned children to take on a caregiver role. Females with male spirits contributed by hunting and being warriors. Some Nations saw females with male spirit folks marrying widowed women. 

The Reverence for Two Spirit Peoples 

In addition to the everyday contributions Two-Spirit Peoples made to their communities, their gift of having two spirits within them also meant they were good healers, medicine people, and visionaries. This is because the two spirits in them give them what’s called double-vision — the ability to see the world through both the male and female lens.  

“The belief that Cree Two-Spirit People are special is epitomized in the existence of a powerful Two-Spirit Deity known as Qweskicanskew,” adds Elder Ed Lavallee. “In their spirituality, they believe this Spirit turns things around for the good and well-being of all things on earth. This important Spirit is called upon in prayers for help, protection and blessings.” 

Two-Spirit Peoples were foundational to their communities. During colonization, Two-Spirit Peoples’ place in the world seemed to no longer exist. Through the mid- to late-twentieth century, as more Indigenous Peoples began to reclaim their identities, it was clear the different terms used in different Nations like Nádleehí (nad-lay-hee), Winkté (wink-tay), and Niso-acahk-iynew (nee-soh-achak-ee-noo) needed a translation for the wider public to understand.  

Bringing Two Spirit to the Wider Public 

In 1990, at the Third Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, Elder Myra Laramee put forth the term Two-Spirit. The term is a translation from the Anishnaabemowin (Ojibwe language) term Niizh Manidoowag (neez man-ee-doo-wog). It was added to the front of the Pride acronym (2SLGBTQIA+) in recent years and was even a part of the focus for the Federal 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan launched in 2022.  

Today, knowledge and understanding about Two-Spirit Peoples is spreading, but is still far behind from where it was before colonization. People like Dr. James Makokis (a Two-Spirit doctor from Kehewin Cree Nation) and MP Blake Desjarlais (a Member of Parliament from Edmonton) are sharing their stories to help more people understand why Two-Spirit Peoples are an essential part of their Nations – and to reduce the stigmatization around people living their authentic lives.  

“They are emerging from their long decades of oppression and marginalization working toward re-establishing their rightful roles in their communities as they go through this period of rediscovery,” says Elder Ed Lavalle. “They are working to be recognized, respected and engaged in an integral manner, within Indigenous communities and society in general.” 

This Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month, we’re celebrating the bravery of Two-Spirit people coming out and bringing this piece of Indigenous culture to the public forefront. We hope you’ll join us in making room for Peoples who can walk in both worlds to share their gifts and help make this world a more equitable place for everyone. 

How your short walk can help someone else’s journey

We can’t say enough about our Community Space. This is the central hub where folks can come by for a hot meal, hot shower, fresh clothes, and to build relationships with people to grow their support network. 

This space is invaluable to the folks who access its services every day. And, this is why our biggest fundraiser of the year, our Coldest Night of the Year walkathon, sees money raised going directly back into the operations and programs in the Community Space. For a lot of folks, this space is so much more than a warm, indoor place to meet daily necessities – it can also be the first step towards finding their unique pathways out of poverty. 

Relationships are everything in the Community Space. 

While things like meals and showers might be what first brings people through the doors, they soon learn what other programs might help them along. We offer programs like housing, employment, and mental health, to name a few, which help uncover what barriers people are facing. As staff work to build relationships with people to help find their strengths, folks can start recognizing how best to address these root causes.  

No two experiences with houselessness are alike. Building positive relationships can help people recognize their strengths and resiliency – ultimately helping them find their path out of poverty. And, when they’re ready to take those first steps in their journey, Bissell Centre staff help find the resources they need to live a good quality of life. 

Every journey is unique – and everyone gives back differently. 

Doug has been coming to the Community Space for a few years now. In his own words, it’s his home away from home. The relationships he’s built are like family to him. And like any good family, he finds ways to give back. 

The main way Doug gives back to the Community Space is by volunteering in the Community Closet, helping folks find new clothes. Other times, Doug walks around the encampments nearby to see if anyone needs any help. Any way that Doug can help, he wants to offer it to the community that’s given him so much. 

“If it weren’t for Bissell Centre, I think we’d all be lost,” says Doug. “They’re helping me out, so I want to help them out too.”  

How you can help too. 

This year’s Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk sees all proceeds raised going directly back to the Community Space to support its invaluable operations and programs. Start a team, raise some money, and bring out the whole family for a walk downtown on February 24, 2024. Thank you to all our event sponsors, including our Lead Sponsor Capital Power for providing the single largest sponsorship contribution we have ever received. 

National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration

Bissell’s National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration weeks ago brought 96 St. right outside Bissell to life. Bissell Centre has been celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day, proclaimed in 1996 by the Canadian Government, for well over a decade! This year, it was so much more than a block party– our team made sure this was a celebration to remember.

Food Services serving the National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 meal.

Keeping Traditions Alive

Our Food Services kitchen team made traditional stew and Bannock for everyone who attended. In total, they served more than 900 meals! Elders from the community held a traditional pipe ceremony to kick things off. They shared stories of struggle and expressed why the customs and traditions they grew up with are so important to folks from Indigenous communities.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 Round Dance performers

Energetic Local Performances

Families enjoyed the traditional hand games from Indigenous communities. Plus, dance and music performances from the Thunder Lake Singers & Dancers and flutist Theo Waskahat. The block was alive with music, drumming, and dancing for the whole community to enjoy.

National Indigenous Peoples Day dancers performing outside

Sharing and Learning Together

National Indigenous Peoples Day is always an amazing celebration, but this year’s was truly one to remember. We’re so happy and grateful for everyone who came out, participated, shared their gifts, and helped make sure Indigenous customs and traditions will stay alive for the people who need them most.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 drummers.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 Photo Highlights

Group of National Indigenous Peoples Day performers

Group of Bissell staff and attendees at 2023 National Indigenous Peoples Day event.

Dancer performing at National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023.

Dancers and attendees at 2023 National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Round Dancers performing at National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023.

Dancer performing at National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 event.

 

The Cookies that brought Smiles to everyone

Every year, Tim Horton’s holds its Smile Cookie fundraiser, where each local franchise owner can pick a charity in their community that the proceeds from cookie sales will support. It’s a great way to help raise money for great causes directly in our communities!

This year, a group of Edmonton franchise owners decided to try something different. The group agreed to pool their efforts to make a larger collective impact – ultimately choosing Bissell Centre as their charity of choice.

And just like that, this quickly became one of the largest fundraising campaigns we’ve held – raising more than $400,000 in a single week.

Bissell’s Child and Family Supports

Funds from this spring’s Smile Cookie campaign all went to support our Child and Family Supports Program. Last year, we helped more than 1,600 families find their way out of poverty and emergency situations. These programs make a massive impact that people in Edmonton don’t often see.

“It’s things like connections to free pre-natal care, parental supports, or free access to emergency essentials like diapers and formula,” says Jonathan Mackereth, Development Officer with Bissell Centre.

Mackereth explains that Bissell has run a childcare for more than 50 years, serving families in the downtown core. The centre is fully staffed by Early Childhood Education professionals, providing Early Childhood Development for short- and long-term – serving childcare from newborns to six years old.

“There’s are enough challenges finding quality childcare – finances shouldn’t be one of them,” says Mackereth “Lots of parents even drop-off their kids to access other programs like our Employment Services or Financial Empowerment workshops, making it an essential part of our approach to ending poverty.”

Supporting and Celebrating Together

Learning that 147 Tim’s locations all came together to support Bissell Centre, “caught us a little off guard,” Jonathan jokes. “We knew right away opportunities like this don’t come often. We pooled resources into making sure folks knew that buying a cookie would help a child.”

Team members from Bissell Centre could be found at a few different locations around the city during this campaign. Whether it was celebrating with giant cookie cut-outs by the drive-thru, or putting on hair nets and decorating cookies, the teams stepped up to make the week unforgettable.

By the end of the campaign, more than 300,000 cookies were sold – raising more than $464,000! People didn’t hesitate to add a smile cookie to their regular double-double orders – with some businesses and schools pre-ordering up to 1,500 cookies at a time.

“On the first day, we had a manager come out to see us,” Jonathan recalls. “She said in the first two hours of the morning rush, they sold more than a quarter of the cookies they sold for the entire campaign last year.”

We can’t thank the Edmonton Tim’s franchisees enough for all the support they’ve given us. This will directly impact families and children experiencing houselessness and poverty in Edmonton. Thank you for helping us make Edmonton a little bit more of an equitable place to call home.

Reg Canadian Charity · 118810829RR0001