BGC Battlefords currently doesn't have resources to start a new service location. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

youth club

BGC Battlefords approached to expand programming to tri-communities

Jun 9, 2021 | 1:15 PM

The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of Canada could be providing services in the tri-communities sometime in the future.

BGC Battlefords executive director Nicole Combres was invited to speak at La Ronge’s Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday to discuss the services the group offers. She was asked to make a presentation by administrator Steven Brown after Brown was told there might be an interest or need in the community for programming that BGC offers.

“I’m not really sure yet where this will go or what the partnership or relationship will look like,” Combres said. “The next step for the plan is I will probably travel to La Ronge and meet with community members and leaders and take a look at what the community needs are, what the wants are, and what there’s an appetite for.”

There are BGC’s located across Canada and the club serves more than 200,000 children and teens annually. In North Battleford, BGC provides services for approximately 500 kids with programs before and after school and during the summer. There’s also nutrition and drop-in programs, as well as special offerings like hockey, soccer, and music lessons.

Combres mentioned the goal of BGCs is to ensure kids have access to safe and supportive spaces where they can be themselves and have the opportunity to grow, learn and build relationships with one another with positive roles models like staff.

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“It won’t be an easy task if we were to set up a service location in La Ronge,” Combres said. “It’s not necessarily an easy task, but it’s definitely doable with the proper resources, which is people, time, money, and space. Those will be some of the conversations we’ll have moving forward.”

Currently, BGC Battlefords doesn’t have the resources to launch a new service location and discussions would need to be held with local leaders to find out what kind of partnership can be struck.

“I really enjoyed the conversations I had with town council,” Combres said. “I’m just really looking forward to seeing

where this relationship takes us.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno