By Angela Hill

Hope for Warrior Spirit Walking

Mar 17, 2011 | 7:01 AM

There could be hope on the horizon for Prince Albert’s anti-gang program, Warrior Spirit Walking.

Their funding is set to come to an end Mar. 31, but the federal government announced earlier this week that Canada’s Youth Gang Prevention Fund will be renewed.

“It’s very good, it’s a very positive announcement,” said Dana Bayda, program co-ordinator for Warrior Spirit Walking.

“It’s very, very positive news for our program and for many programs across the country … there are 19 funded by the Youth Gang Prevention Fund.”

During the past five years of initial Warrior Spirit Walking funding, staff worked in local schools and led the anti-gang presentation team. About 950 kids received some support from the organization and 133 youth were worked with intensively, meeting with their workers for about 30 hours a week.

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“Given successes of projects funded under the Youth Gang Prevention Fund in helping youth stay away from gangs, the Government has decided to continue with this element of the National Crime Prevention Strategy,” said an email from Public Safety Canada to paNOW in response to questions.

“They had good success with the last five years on it,” said local MP, Randy Hoback.

“We might have to wait until the budget to find out how the funds are going to be administered … we are still kind of waiting to see what the answer is there.”

It’s this waiting that has Bayda concerned.

“We don’t know if it’s going to be a general amount of money put out that we then have to apply for, which would then take time, or if this is an immediate cash injection,” she said.

“There is no possibility holding on to the staff as it stands right now, unless we were to be funded immediately.”

Currently the five staff members that run the program are prepared to be laid off Mar. 31 and many are already looking for other jobs in the city, Bayda said.

It’s difficult for continuity of the program and tough on the kids, if the people they have built trust with all go and the program has to start fresh, she said.

“They don’t want to see us go, it takes years to build up relationships with these kids … for us all to have to leave when they are showing such signs of improvement … it’s very heartbreaking. It’s heart breaking for the kids and it’s heartbreaking for the staff,” Bayda said.

According to Public Safety Canada’s email to paNOW, details on funding eligibility are still being worked out and will be made public when finalized.

For more on the program and funding see:

Anti-gang program at risk of ending

Mar. 16, Help Warrior Spirit Walking

ahill@panow.com