By BRIAN GRAY, Toronto SUN MEDIA
Jan 16, 2008
Services geared to Toronto's aboriginal residents have not kept pace with their growing numbers, the head of a native organization said yesterday.
"The message needs to be sent that we need more resources, both financial and human, as the population shifts," said Sylvia Maracle, executive director of Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres. "Along with a larger urban native population, life expectancy is increasing as are educational levels."
Census data released yesterday shows the Toronto region has experienced a significant increase in the number of aboriginal people living in and around the city, reflecting a national trend.
Statistics Canada released new data Tuesday from the 2006 census on Canada's aboriginal population, showing 26,575 people living in the Toronto census metropolitan area identified themselves as aboriginal -- a 30.9% increase in the region's native population since the last census.
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The new census data shows that across Canada, 72.1% of the country's off-reserve aboriginal population lives in urban centres, compared to only 26.3% who live on reserves. The number of aboriginals living off-reserve since the last census was taken in 2001 has increased by 3%.
The aboriginal population tends to gravitate toward cities in search of jobs and a better life; however, they often find it difficult to access the services they need to prosper. Off-reserve, they can no longer access federally funded services and provincial governments are often unwilling to take financial responsibility.
Maracle said there needs to be more emphasis on helping the homeless and on educational opportunities for youth.
Recent numbers showed 26% of Toronto's homeless are from the native community and high proportion of them are youths who have left the reserve and have not found ways to fit into urban society.