The Riverton & District Friendship Centre (RDFC) may experience a funding shortfall after the federal government’s 2025 budget proposes scaling back support to friendship centres starting in spring 2026.
The federal government is focusing on building the economy in light of uncertainties created by tariffs and a fractured trade relationships with the American administration, boosting competition and lowering prices for Canadians. It’s also looking at fiscal discipline through operational savings within a fiscal deficit of $78 billion.
Annex 1 of the federal government’s proposed budget shows a lack of funding commitments for some Indigenous reconciliation programs starting in the spring of 2026
Released Nov. 4, the federal budget proposes zero funding from fiscal years 2026-2027 to 2029-2030 for the “Renewing urban programming for Indigenous Peoples” budget line, which provides funding to friendship centres across the country. The word “urban” in the budget line includes friendship centres in rural areas such as Riverton.
The Express reached out to the Riverton & District Friendship Centre, asking what revenue RDFC had received from the federal and provincial governments in fiscal years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, what programs RDFC delivered that could be jeopardized by the proposed funding shortfall, whether RDFC will see staff cuts, and whether other sources of revenue will have to be sought.
Riverton & District Friendship Centre staff member Martine Sawanas is shown in 2017 preparing a nutritious meal for local children
RDFC executive director Tanis Grimolfson said RDFC’s national office – the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) – shared some insight with them regarding the federal budget.
“Friendship Centres are not named in this budget 2025, but there is still ongoing funding for Friendship Centres post March 31, 2026,” said Grimolfson with reference to what NAFC told them. “The total amount for NAFC after March 31 is currently unknown.”
The “Renewing urban programming for Indigenous Peoples” program is “sunsetting” in 2026, she said. It provides core funding for friendship centres, which is a “fraction of our overall revenue” but is also “one of our most integral funding sources.”
Grimolfson didn’t share requested financial information with the Express. But she said the federal monies the RDFC receives do not come from one specific department or program, and that there’s a “common misconception” that RDFC and other Indigenous organizations “receive endless funding” from the federal government which is “simply not true.”
“As a non-profit organization, our staff does extensive and exhaustive research and proposal writing, countless hours, to find funding opportunities across all levels of government, as well as private foundations, granting agencies, and our own fundraising,” said Grimolfson. “After 40+ years of operation, the Friendship Centre has a successful history of accessing resources and stretching dollars when there are funding shortfalls to ensure that the community is taken care of.”
Should there be a funding shortfall, Grimolfson said RDFC will develop a plan of action.
“… the Friendship Centre has an amazing team of community-minded individuals that work in the best interests of the clients they serve,” she said. “With our board of directors, we will develop any plans of action necessary should there be any shortfalls in funding.”
The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) issued a media release on Nov. 4 in response to the federal budget, saying the proposed lack of funding for friendship centres “risks reconciliation.” Despite a “clear need” and the “demonstrated success of friendship centres,” as well as growing urban Indigenous populations, the federal government’s proposed action will impact support for millions of people who rely on friendship centres and the jobs they provide to Indigenous people, particularly women.
“Quite simply, this budget does not meet our expectations,” said NAFC CEO Jocelyn Formsma in the release. “For the ways in which we contribute to this country, we believed this government would enhance supports for Friendship Centres as promised in their Liberal Party platform – it is not in this budget. This government promised to invest in the empowerment of human capital – yet the biggest provider of urban Indigenous capacity building and human services for Indigenous people is left to languish. This government promised to continue the hard work of Reconciliation – yet this budget leaves massive questions about.”
The NAFC says friendship centres provide “safer communities through culturally grounded programs and services” and deliver “essential capacity building in areas such as employment and training, housing, food security, childcare, youth programming, and mental health that allow for safer communities and people better equipped to participate in the economy.” Those services are at risk without dedicated funding.
As RDFC is a registered charity, its annual financial statement is publicly available through Canada Revenue Agency’s website under registered charity information return.
The online annual information return for fiscal year April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 shows RDFC having received total revenue from the federal government in the amount of $1,043,243 (line 4540), and total revenue received from the provincial government in the amount of $164,287 (line 4550).
The 2023-2024 annual return is RDFC’s latest on record, according to Canada Revenue Agency media relations spokesperson Déborah Cléry, who provided the Express with a copy of a redacted 2023-2024 RDFC financial statement (redacted to protect confidential taxpayer information as required under the Income Tax Act).
The redacted document shows RDFC having received revenue of $1,224,378 from grants, $163,071 from fundraising, $34,008 from rental, $31,751 from donations, $12,810 from memberships, $9,333 from seniors centre, $6,305 from day camp, and $731 from “other revenue sources” for a grand total of $1,482,437.
RDFC expenses included $520,517 spent on wages and benefits, $68,693 on travel, $1,000 on administration, $1,931 on meetings, $28,219 on program supplies, and $448,978 on program expenses for a grand total of $1,405,940. That left RDFC with excess revenue of $76,497 that year.
Cléry said RDFC’s financial statement for the April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 fiscal period has not yet been filed. Under the Income Tax Act, all registered charities are required to file an information return and financial statements “no later than six months after the end of their fiscal year.”
“According to CRA records, the [RDFC] received charitable status on April 1, 1999, and has a fiscal period end of March 31. As such, the Organization’s Form T3010 for the period ending March 31, 2025, was due to be filed to the CRA by September 30, 2025, and is now overdue,” said Cléry. “The CRA therefore cannot provide any information concerning the Organization’s 2025 fiscal period. Alternatively, you may contact the Organization directly for more information.”
Cléry was unable to say what funding RDFC received from the federal government since the start of the April 1, 2025 fiscal year or how the federal government expects friendship centres to operate with the proposed funding cut.
In terms of RDFC’s program outcomes (with respect to RDFC’s 2024-2025 fiscal year), Cléry said that information lies with the various federal departments administering grants.
“Information about program outcomes and other service benchmarks the federal government monitors as part of its funding allocations can be obtained from the respective government department that administered the grant and contribution program,” she said.
The Express asked council for the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton whether it plans to make a funding commitment to the Riverton & District Friendship Centre in light of the proposed federal shortfall, and if the municipality has provided funding to RDFC and/or Indigenous programming in the past.
On behalf of council, assistant chief administrative officer Deanna Fridfinnson said council is monitoring the funding situation and is waiting to see the full implications of the proposed federal budget cut.
“The Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton recognizes the important role the Riverton & District Friendship Centre plays in supporting Indigenous and community wellbeing. At this time, the municipality has not made a formal funding commitment, as the full implications of the federal budget’s proposed cut are still being reviewed,” said Fridfinnson. “Council will continue to monitor the situation, engage with Friendship Centre leadership, and explore opportunities for collaboration once more information becomes available from the federal and provincial levels.”
Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman MP James Bezan said there are friendship centres that “won’t survive” without federal funding “for even a year.” And the Conservatives are calling on the Liberal government to reinstate funding for them.
“I was disappointed to see the Liberal government cut funding for Friendship Centres in Carney’s Budget 2025. It is our understanding that no money was allocated in the budget to Indigenous Services Canada line items scheduled to sunset or be renewed, but this is just another example of incompetence or creative accounting by the Liberal government,” said Bezan. “Either they did not plan accordingly to have details worked out in time for the budget or they chose not to include some projects that will be funded to make the deficit projections less extreme. We saw something similar with a lack of funding for submarines despite a procurement process already starting.”
Friendship centres are a great example of “funding communities to do impactful Indigenous-led work” in rural and urban areas, he added.
“Given the increasingly diverse portfolio of services provided by friendship centre – including after school programs, childcare, Indigenous language classes, food banks, and more – the funding coming from the federal government is critical,” said Bezan. “The prospect of having to lay off talented employees, combined with increased unfunded demands for services, has already impacted the sustainability of friendship centres across Canada.”
A spokesperson for the provincial government said the department of municipal and northern relations has committed “up to” $1,561,800 in 2025-26 annual funding to the Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres (MAFC).
That funding will support three program areas which include the following:
• Core Operating Funding. Up to $1,200,000 administered by MAFC to 11 Friendship Centres across the province that provided culturally appropriate services for Indigenous peoples living in urban centers.
• Parent Child Centres Funding. Up to $307,500 administered by MAFC to 10 Friendship Centres to deliver programming that supports the health and development of children aged 5 to 12 years old.
• And Northern Youth Programming Funding. Up to $54,300 administered by MAFC to Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre to deliver programming to youth in Thompson, Manitoba.
“Funding totals for friendships centres are determined in consultation with MAFC, which has its own criteria for distributing those funds to its association members,” said the spokesperson when asked what formula the province uses to allocate funding to friendship centres.
“Through MAFC, the Riverton & District Friendship Centre has received $58,846 in core operating funding in both 2024-25 and 2025-26,” he said. “It also received $30,000 in parent child centre funding in each of those two fiscal years. In addition, the Riverton & District Friendship Centre has received funding through the Urban/Hometown Green Team Program, including $16,811 in 2024-25 and $15,014 in 2025-26.
Information about the federal government’s proposed funding for Indigenous reconciliation programs after spring 2026 (annex 1), as well as investments in Indigenous infrastructure, can be found in Canada Strong Budget 2025 online at budget.canada.ca
