Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta

By Eli J. Ridder

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

Alberta grants Brooks-based newcomer youth empowerment program $150K

Dec 13, 2024 | 10:34 AM

Premier Danielle Smith on Friday revealed a $150,000 investment into a Brooks program that provides newcomer youth with social supports and opportunities for career planning.

The city, located north of Medicine Hat, had the fourth highest percentage of newcomers in Alberta, welcoming 925 new permanent residents.

Smith said the fresh funding for the Global Village Centre’s John Ware Youth Empowerment Program will have a major impact.

“I know this funding will help hundreds more youth find opportunities and pursue their dreams in Alberta,” Smith said from a news conference in Brooks.

The program was named after the legendary Black cowboy who was born into slavery in the United States in the 1800s.

After gaining his freedom, Ware moved north, eventually settling in the area around Brooks. There, he opened a ranch.

“We’re proud of our diversity in the City of Brooks and programs such as this not only help newcomer youth but also strengthen our community,” said mayor John Petrie.

The centre’s executive director Ahmed Kassem said the cash will allow for expansion.

“The support will allow local youth to participate and learn life skills, such as gender-based violence prevention, while seeing the program expand to other municipalities,” Kassem said.

The fresh funding builds on the nearly $460,000 the province has already granted the program since the centre opened in 2021, officials said.

Smith was joined by the arts, culture and status of women minister Tanya Fir, who said programs like the John Ware initiative “enrich our communities, provide essential services at lower costs and help build a more vibrant and welcoming province.”

“In 2022, non-profits and community groups accounted for $5.7 billion in annual GDP and employed more than 84,000 Albertans,” Fir said during Friday’s news conference.