TASSC Member Agencies
TASSC – We . Are . Growing
Get to know TASSC member agencies. Click the tab for each agency for more information, including donation links.
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At a Glance | Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre is an autonomous, vibrant cultural agency that involves and serves the Indigenous community with confidence for and commitment to their well-being. Our mandate is to provide counselling, material assistance and other direct services to First Nations people as well as to encourage and enhance spiritual and personal growth. Our Mission:
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Contact Info | 525 Dundas St. East, 2nd Floor Toronto, ON M5A 2B6 T: 437-703-8703 |
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At a Glance | Call Auntie Clinic started out as the Call Auntie COVID-19 Indigenous Pathways Hotline in the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020. Our team of Aunties got together and created connection for the Indigenous community in Tkarōn:to to support each other through the pandemic. We soon learned that there was a need for more than just a hotline and that safely visiting and sitting with one another is critical to staying healthy! This is how the Call Auntie Clinic came to be. Today we have a group of Aunties that are here to support you with your health and well being. These same Aunties make up the small but mighty crew of Community Birth workers behind the Baby Bundle Program – a wrap around support service dedicated to Indigenous families who are currently pregnant and post partum. This Program was born out of the now concluded Baby Bundle research project, that demonstrated a lot about how support based Indigenous kinship systems can address gaps in services. |
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At a Glance | Tungasuvvingat Inuit is an Inuit-specific registered not-for-profit Ontario service provider offering social support, cultural activities, employment and education assistance, youth programs, counselling, crisis intervention and more. In total, we offer nearly 30 integrated, front-line services! The goal is to be a one-stop resource and support centre to meet the rapidly growing, complex and evolving needs of Inuit in Ontario. TI is the only Inuit-specific service organization of its kind in urban Canada offering support through a person’s entire life cycle. As the population of Inuit living outside of Inuit Nunangat now exceeds 40%, Tungasuvvingat Inuit is recognized as a leading advocate for urban Inuit and is prominent within the framework of national Inuit organizations. Like the traditional Inuit Blanket-Toss Game, Tungasuvvingat Inuit’s programs and services will “catch” anyone in the Inuit community who needs our support. When Inuit access our services, you are made aware of some of the other important supports that may be accessible. |
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At a Glance | In our culture, before the Europeans came to North America, “2-Spirit” referred to an ancient teaching. Our Elders tell us of people who were gifted among all beings because they carried two spirits: those of male and female. It is told that women engaged in tribal warfare and married other women, as there were men who married other men. These individuals were looked upon as a third gender in many cases and in nearly all of our cultures they were honored and revered. 2-Spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers, and the medicine people, respected as fundamental components of our ancient culture and societies. This is our guiding force as well as our source of strength. This is the heart of 2-Spirited People of the First Nations. At our 1992 Annual General Meeting, we adopted the name “2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations” to honor our ancestral past and reclaim our Aboriginal identity. As our 2-Spirited community is unique, so are our issues and our organization. We are members of a group of people whose way of life has been drastically altered by historical circumstance. We will continue to nurture and grow within our sacred roles and celebrate our strengths as 2-Spirit peoples to provide physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual advocacy. We support 2-Spirit peoples and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit community members who are at risk of or living with HIV, hepatitis C, and related co-infections; and we will continue to support community members who are facing the effects of historic and ongoing colonial violence so that we may thrive within our communities and nations. |
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At a Glance | The Aboriginal Labour Force Development Circle (ALFDC) was incorporated on June 29, 1998, under the jurisdiction of Part II of the Canada Corporations Act. As such, it is considered to be a federal, not-for-profit corporation. The Circle is comprised of First Nations communities, both on-reserve and in urban areas that come together for mutual support in the area of employment and training. These communities remain strong in their belief that by working together they can assist each other to achieve their goals for the future. The ALFDC provides employment and training programs and services through seven Local Delivery Mechanisms (LDMs) located throughout Ontario. These LDMs were established during the “Pathways to Success” federal Aboriginal Employment Training Strategy and as a result have developed considerable expertise in the delivery of employment and training programs and services to Aboriginal people over the past several years. In addition, the ALFDC administers one Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Project for the city of Toronto. Funded under the HPS – Homelessness Partnering Strategy, this agreement funds projects that meet priorities set by the community involved allowing for more local control than is usually possible in a contractual agreement. The ALFDC also funds childcare for the 10 First Nations associated with the Local Delivery Mechanisms. |
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At a Glance | Aboriginal Legal Services (formerly Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto) was established on February 21, 1990. ALS was formed following a need for a legal related program for Aboriginal people living in the Greater Toronto Area. Our mission is to strengthen the capacity of the Aboriginal community and its citizens to deal with justice issues and provide Aboriginal controlled and culturally based justice alternatives. ALS’s initiatives in criminal law include establishing the first urban Aboriginal alterative justice program in Canada – the Community Council – in 1992 and helping with the creation of the first Gladue (Aboriginal Persons) Court in Ontario in 2001. ALS also wrote the first Gladue Reports in Canada, and we continue to be leaders in this important work.
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Contacts | 413 Dundas St E Toronto, ON M5A 2A9 647-598-4520 |
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At a Glance | Thunder Woman Healing Lodge Society (TWHLS) is a community-driven initiative raised out of concern and recognition of the urgent need to break the cycle of Indigenous women’s over-representation in Canada’s prisons. Indigenous-led, we provide trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services for First Nation (Status and Non-Status), Inuit, and Metis 2SLGBTQIA+ women exiting the justice system. Ontario’s first Indigenous owned and led healing lodge for Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ women is about become a reality. Our mission is that TWHLS will promote and provide services for First Nation (Status and Non-Status), Inuit, and Metis 2SLGBTQIA+ Women to focus on their journey to wholeness and balance. Our vision is to provide First Nation (Status and Non-Status), Inuit, and Metis 2SLGBTQIA+ women a place in the Greater Toronto Area to heal and reclaim positive cultural identity, rehabilitation and wellness. Our name refers to the story and teachings of the Thunderbird, a powerful, spiritual being described in the Anishinaabe culture and known throughout Turtle Island. The name THUNDERWOMAN incorporates the transformative, healing, and creative spirit of the Eagle, Thunderbird, and all our relations’ journeys to walk in balance. Our logo incorporates a stylized Thunderbird with a figure holding up an eagle feather in prayer, symbolizing both our name and the healing that can happen through Indigenous culture and traditions. |
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Contact Info | 10-160 Baldwin St. Toronto, ON M5T 3K7 416-829-3229 E: Click to Send Email (Info) |
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At a Glance | The Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts (ANDPVA), Canada’s oldest Indigenous arts service organization, provides support to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists. The artists identify as Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Indian Residential School Survivors, Intergenerational Survivors, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQ+ relatives and friends, Indigenous Human Trafficking Survivors, Children’s Aid Survivors, 60’s Scoop Survivors, Two-Spirit, unemployed, under-employed, single parents, and the Houseless. Our signature events and programming facilitate healing through the arts by creating safe spaces to learn and share in culturally appropriate ways. Our mission is to create healing through the arts by restoring cultures and identities to Indigenous artists and communities. We identify, promote, and create opportunities for Indigenous artists to support and develop a self-sufficient community of Indigenous artists who preserve traditional knowledge, advance respective cultural identities, and reflect evolving cultural expression helping the community heal from the trauma of colonization. |
Website | Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts |
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At a Glance | In 1974, James Buller founded the Native Theatre School. His vision was to create a viable, respectful, and supportive space for Indigenous theatre and performing artists. From humble beginnings, what began as a stand-alone, four-week program, in time, grew to become the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (CIT), an institution offering a unique Indigenous cultural, theatre and performance training program. CIT contributes to the advancement of an Indigenous cultural economy and the Arts generally, helping to mould young talent and professionals, organizing community presentations and workshops, and by working closely with alumni to share our learnings and our craft in a culturally appropriate and inviting setting. CIT is the only school of its kind in Canada. We create training and professional development opportunities for emerging and established Indigenous theatre artists comparable to other post-secondary performing arts programs. What makes CIT unique is our intimate, supportive, student-focused training rooted in Indigenous cultures and traditions. Bringing together contemporary theatre training and traditional cultural practices, we have successfully supported and enriched the voices of our students through self-exploration, song, story, and performance. Our Alumni maintain high rates of employment as performers, writers, directors, presenters, and trainers. CIT’s training extends beyond the classroom to the actual stage, with performance and outreach activities designed to provide opportunities for practical application of the technical training. |
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At a Glance | Legally known as: Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig – A place for healing our youth Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying? – Where did we come from? -Youth Program The ENAGB Youth Agency focuses on providing cultural, employment, life skills, holistic wellness, and recreational opportunities to youth ages 12-29. Programming is designed through youth participation and works to build self-esteem, confidence, skills and self-determination. The “Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig – A Place for Healing Our Youth” –“Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying – Where Did We Come From?” programming will prepare our youth in North America to become responsible, participating citizens while leading our Indigenous community. The mission of the “Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig – A Place for Healing Our Youth” – “Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying – Where Did We Come From?” is to prepare our Youth to make ethical choices that will foster pride and confidence by instilling our youth with values of the Medicine Wheel. The ENAGB YOUTH PROGRAM will plan, organize, and implement programming based on the guidance of our youth and staff to ensure a collaborative effort for emotional, physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing. |
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At a Glance | Gabriel Dumont Non-Profit Homes (Metro Toronto) Inc, also known as GDNP Homes, is an 87-unit apartment and townhouse complex available to the Indigenous community. Established in 1985, we have 3- and 4-bedroom units to accommodate larger families and are located in southeast Scarborough. This project offers subsidized housing to families of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples on a rent-geared-to-income basis. GDNP Homes supports building community involvement within GDNP Homes and the extended South East Scarborough Indigenous community. Through encouraging and promoting a better understanding of Indigenous peoples’ needs as indicated by community consultation, GDNP Homes holds space for collaboration with other Indigenous agencies and organizations to provide resources. The support mechanisms address for cultural safety, self-determination and building community capacity. GDNP Homes is dedicated providing safe, rent-geared-to-income units and to delivering programs to enhance the social and cultural position of Indigenous peoples in an urban setting. This is a place where human rights are respected and where two spirit, lesbian, gay bisexual, transsexual, transgender and queer people and their friends and allies are welcome and supported. |
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At a Glance | Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training was created in 1991 to meet the unique training and employment needs of aboriginal peoples. Miziwe Biik provides the Greater Toronto Area’s Aboriginal community with training initiatives and employment services. Formerly known as The Greater Toronto Aboriginal Management Board (G.T.A.M.B), the name Miziwe Biik was given to us by Elder Jim Windigo. Our name is associated with the female water spirit and means water which flows all around us. “Miziwe Biik is like a body of water where a ripple effect had been created; it is the ability to reach out and make positive change in the lives of the Aboriginal* peoples across the Greater Toronto Area.” Miziwe Biik is committed to assisting all persons of Aboriginal* ancestry to attain a better quality of life. We believe that community needs and aspirations are paramount. We are committed to strengthening the community through partnerships that promote equality and self- reliance. We will provide training and employment opportunities in a supportive environment in which people can affirm their Aboriginal* identities and develop to their fullest potential. We are committed to the belief that it is through traditional and cultural values, practices, and resources that we will reclaim our destiny. Our mission is to provide services to the Aboriginal* peoples in the Greater Toronto Area; to work with employers to secure employment opportunities; to deliver federal and provincial programs; and, promote Aboriginal* entrepreneurship and the development of our economies. We will work with individuals, other agencies, and groups to provide these services and achieve our mission that we will reclaim our destiny. *First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit, and Metis |
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At a Glance | MBDC was established in 2004 by Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training. MBDC’s mission is to serve as a vehicle for the economic advancement and self-sufficiency of the Indigenous community in the Greater Toronto Area. MBDC focuses on providing funding opportunities for affordable rental development, downpayment assistance, and rental supports and support services through community partnerships. MBDC proudly administers the Lee Awards, an annual bursary program for Indigenous high school students in the GTA. |
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At a Glance | In 1985, Na-Me-Res began offering emergency shelter to Toronto-based Indigenous men who were without a place to live. The 26-bed shelter grew quickly to accommodate the growing needs of the community and, as a greater understanding of the underlying reasons for Indigenous homelessness emerged, Na-Me-Res implemented support programs to address those causes. Today, Na-Me-Res, includes a number of housing initiatives that encompass an Emergency Shelter, Transitional, Permanent and Affordable Housing as well as a number of New Projects. Our services have also expanded into programs that meet the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional needs of our clients wherever they are on their journey. This includes Basic Needs, Personal Development and Cultural Connection. As we continue to grow to meet increasing needs – and as a registered charity – we rely on the generosity of the government as well as public and private donations. Na-Me-Res ensures that Indigenous people experiencing homelessness have access to a continuum of culturally appropriate supports securing stable, safe, and affordable housing while helping them to achieve their personal goals and aspirations. |
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At a Glance | Native Earth Performing Arts is Canada’s oldest professional Indigenous performing arts company. Currently, in our 41st year, we are dedicated to developing, producing, and presenting professional artistic expressions of the Indigenous experience in Canada. Through stage productions (theatre, dance, and multi-disciplinary art), new script development, apprenticeships, and internships, Native Earth seeks to fulfill a community of artistic visions. It is a vision that is inclusive and reflective of the artistic directions of members of the Indigenous community who actively participate in the arts. In service of our mandate and mission, the company strives to operate according to 7 traditional principles which inform decisions in all undertakings. It is our belief that these tenets not only honour Indigenous values but are universal to all cultures in various manifestations. We acknowledge that these are subjective values, and that each individual has an interpretation of them. |
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Contact Info | 16 Spadina Road Toronto, ON M5R 2S7 T: 416-964-9087 |
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At a Glance | Native Canadian Centre of Toronto is a membership-based, charitable organization located in the heart of downtown Toronto in a beautifully renovated heritage building. NCCT offers a wide range of programs and services based on Indigenous cultural traditions and teachings. All are welcome. Since 1962 the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto has been a key meeting place for all people, of all nations, from across Canada and all over the world. As Toronto’s oldest Indigenous community organization and one of the original Friendship Centres in Canada, the NCCT provides social, recreational, cultural and spiritual services for the Indigenous community and visitors alike. We empower the Indigenous community in Toronto by providing programs that support their spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental well-being. For over 50 years, the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto has been a leader in the building of a healthy and vibrant urban Indigenous community in Toronto. Serving over 2,000 clients a year, we tirelessly work to provide culturally centred services and programs to increase the economic, social, cultural and health outcomes of our people. |
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Contact Info | Administrative Office 244 Church St Toronto, ON M5B 1Z3 T: 416-975-5451 F: 416-975-0089 |
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At a Glance | Nishnawbe Homes is a non-profit Indigenous housing provider with multiple locations in the GTA serving First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. Our tenants are vulnerable members of the community marginalized by the housing crisis. Many of our tenants are houseless or on the verge of becoming houseless due to the severe lack of affordable housing options. Nishnawbe Homes is proud to house students, Elders, working poor, women, men, youth, 2-spirited, moms and dads. Our housing works to be kind and respectful of everyone’s life-journey and we hope to assist and support our tenants attain their goals. It is the purpose of Nishnawbe Homes Inc. to provide an adequate supply of safe, secure housing for the Native homeless and under-housed in Toronto and to do so in concert with similar organizations throughout North America. We work toward a housing situation that develops equity for both the corporation and residents. It is also our purpose to develop within the housing units, a strong sense of community and support in the context of Native cultural values, and that encourages an environment that is alcohol and drug free. |
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At a Glance | The Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto (NWRCT) began when a dedicated group of Indigenous women recognized the need for a gathering place in Toronto where Indigenous women could share resources, support one another, and practice their traditional ways. In 1985, this vision resulted in the downtown basement office that affectionately became known as “The Pit.” Today, the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto provides a safe and welcoming environment for all Indigenous women and their children in the Greater Toronto Area. Our programs offer wrap around blanket services to address and support Basic Needs, Housing, Families, Advocacy, Employment, Education, Healing from Trauma, and Access to Ceremonies and Traditional Practitioners/ Healers. NWRCT aims to build confidence and capacity within the collective community. We host a variety of Cultural Activities for our clients and the general public, including the Minaake Awards, Sisters In Spirit Vigil, and Winter Solstice. The NWRCT is a registered charity funded by government programs as well as public and private donations. We honour the vision of our founders as we support urban Indigenous women and children from all walks of life. We build self-sufficiency and develop collective capacity to make positive change. We provide individual support, group programming, and cultural initiatives. |
Website | Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto (Website) |
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At a Glance | The Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy was created by a steering committee composed of government representatives, researchers, community representatives and people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The goal of the strategy is to provide culturally respectful and sensitive programs and strategies to respond to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among Aboriginal Peoples in Ontario, through promotion, prevention, long-term care, treatment, and support initiatives consistent with harm reduction principles. The strategy is a provincially mandated AIDS service organization that provides outreach and support services, through regional outreach workers, to off-reserve Aboriginal Peoples who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Since 1995, the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy has consistently evolved to respond to the changing epidemic within the Aboriginal population of Ontario. Oahas staff will work with community members and families to access the basic needs for optimal health, including income, housing, food, employment, and positive working conditions as well as providing safer sex and harm reduction supplies within the community. We have community and participant-centred approach. Our People come first, and we are here to provide the best service possible and we work to ensure everyone feels welcome, included and supported on their journey; unconditionally. |
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Contact Info | 100 Wellington St W 2300 TD West Tower Toronto, ON M5K 1A1 |
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At a Glance | Our Children’s Medicine is building a future where Indigenous and diverse job seekers have equal access to and are properly represented amongst Canadian business. OCM achieves this through a dual approach focusing on employment systems and job seeker development. OCM has developed tools (or bundle as we call it) to amplify the voice and talents of Indigenous job seekers during the application, interview and onboarding process. In addition, our bundle contains the key components to enact corporate systems change which will lead to employers sourcing, hiring and retaining remarkable First Nations, Metis and Inuit employees! OCM prides itself on holding business accountable as we work towards achieving a workforce brimming with incredible Indigenous talent, and together putting reconciliation into action. Since 2017 OCM has helped more than 1,100 Indigenous job seekers achieve employment at over 75 companies across the country. OCM was founded by Josh Hellyer and Birch Hill Equity Partners. Birch Hill is OCM’s founding national employer partner, sponsor and provides governance and oversight of OCM. |
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At a Glance | The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) is a not for profit organization to empower and support all Indigenous women and their families in the province of Ontario through research, advocacy, policy development and programs that focus on local, regional and provincial activities. Established in 1971, ONWA delivers culturally enriched programs and services to Indigenous women and their families regardless of their status or locality. We are committed to providing services that strengthen communities and guarantee the preservation of Indigenous culture, identity, art, language, and heritage. Ending violence against Indigenous women and their families and ensuring equal access to justice, education, health services, environmental stewardship, and economic development, sit at the cornerstone of the organization. ONWA insists on social and cultural well–being for all Indigenous women and their families, so that all women, regardless of tribal heritage may live their best life. ONWA membership is based on the establishment of either Chapters or Councils within the province of Ontario. Membership provides Indigenous women the support, capacity development opportunities, and visibility they need to further enhance their lives. ONWA Membership provides Indigenous women within Ontario the opportunity to collectively influence both national and provincial policies and legislation as it relates to issues that affect them. |
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Contact Info | 75 Sherbourne St Unit 311 Toronto, ON M5A 2P9 T: 416-977-9881 ext. 124 |
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At a Glance | As part of the Métis Nation, we represent Métis people in Toronto and York Regions. We aspire to provide cultural events, education and build healthy and reciprocal relationships in the spirit of reconciliation. In 1996 the Toronto Metis Council was established, and in 2009 the Community expanded beyond metropolitan core to include York Region, with a new charter issued by the MNO for the Toronto and York Region Métis Council. Métis people and the community of Toronto and York region are thriving, culturally vibrant and woven together like the threads of our sash. The Community represented by the Toronto and York Region Metis Council is described geographically as follows:
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At a Glance | The Urban Indigenous Education Centre is pleased to offer a variety of services with the goal of enhancing Indigenous student well-being and achievement and ensuring Indigenous education for all educators and students in the TDSB. This mandate is approached by creating opportunities for learning from and with Indigenous communities through partnerships and professional learning, infusing Indigenous perspectives across the curriculum for all students, as well as by providing direct wrap-around supports to enhance the overall well-being achievement of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students throughout the TDSB. We offer a range of services to students and families, utilizing a wholistic approach to support overall achievement and well-being. |
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At a Glance | Founded in 1972, Wigwamen Incorporated, a non-profit and charitable organization, is Ontario’s oldest and largest urban Aboriginal housing provider. With 221 units scattered throughout the City of Toronto, a 92-unit apartment building for families and singles in Scarborough, a 60-unit apartment building in Northeast Scarborough, a 127-unit apartment complex for seniors in downtown Toronto, a 41-unit apartment building in Ottawa, a 145-unit apartment building in the Canary District of Toronto, and a 115-unit apartment building in Scarborough, Wigwamen is committed to providing decent, safe and affordable housing to thousands of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families, singles and seniors. |
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