Native Friendship Centre

A Friendship Centre is a non-profit community centre and Aboriginal program/service delivery organization located in many towns and cities in Canada to provide services to urban Inuit, Métis, First Nations, Non-Status and Non-Indigenous people who live in urban areas. Native Friendship Centres have existed for more than 50 years, and are located in all provinces and territories. In 2004 there were 116 centres which served 750,000 individuals through 900 separate programs and services. The main coordinating body for Friendship Centres is the National Association of Friendship Centres.

The Friendship Centre Movement is a collective group of Aboriginal organizations in Canada. The Friendship Centre Movement (FCM) and the concept of a "Friendship Centre" began in 1951 with the registration of the first Friendship Centre as a society in Toronto, Ontario called the "North American Indian Club". In 1952, the 2nd Friendship Centre opened in Vancouver, British Columbia called the "Coqualeetza Fellowship Club" and in 1959 the 3rd Friendship Centre opened in Winnipeg, Manitoba called the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, which was the first Friendship Centre to officially incorporate. By 1968, there were a total of 26 Friendship Centres in Canada, in 1983 there were 80 Friendship Centres in Canada, and in 2009, there are 118 Friendship Centres in Canada, and 7 Provincial/Territorial Associations (PTA's) representing the collective interests of the local Friendship Centres.

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