Native Centre gets $73K grant for HR role

Hamilton Spectator

23-05-2025

The Niagara Regional Native Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake announced yesterday it received a $73,100 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for a human resources manager.
Halley Irwin, the centre's director of development and community engagement, said the funding will support a human resources manager, who will be a part of recruitment and strengthen the centre's capacity to serve the Indigenous community.
Cynthia Whyte was hired for the position on a one-year contract in February and works closely with the executive director to create an internal system for human resources at the centre and strengthening its team of staff — a 'strictly internal' role, said Irwin.
'To help us put some structure in place to support our staff,' Irwin told The Lake Report. 'Which, in turn, will help us better run our programming,' she said.
Serving about 2,000 Indigenous people annually, the centre hopes the funding will help it reach more of the estimated 14,000 Indigenous residents in Niagara, said Irwin.
'Having Cynthia (will) help us cast a little bit of a wider net to secure talent,' she said. 'A key piece of what she is here for.'
To Irwin, having a dedicated HR manager 'is a signal of the growth' of the centre and a 'sign of the good things' it's doing, she said.
The grant isn't going to all be used for salary — Irwin says it will also support updating policies, performance reviews, staff onboarding and supporting existing employees to better run programs.
'I'm very excited. I'm honoured,' said Whyte.
Whyte, who works in the office two days a week, said her top priority is building a strong HR foundation through her policies, procedures, internal training, recruiting and long-term plans to develop the workforce.
'It's really building the HR structure,' she said. 'It's actually been a need in First Nation communities for years.'
Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates attended the announcement to recognize Ontario's support.
'We invited Wayne to join us today,' said Irwin, who called Gates 'a great ally' and a consistent supporter of the centre's work.
'The indigenous community is extremely important,' said Gates. 'In particular, the Native Centre.'
Gates called the funding a great step made possible by the Trillium grant process and said it will help support a new position 'which can now work really hard on different programs,' he said.
'Every once in a while, you need help and that's where the Trillium Fund comes in,' he said.
Irwin described the provincial grant as a 'great show of support and a good step in the right direction,' she said.
'It's a good opportunity for Indigenous organizations to apply for support from the provincial government,' she said.
The centre plans to seek additional grants to extend Whyte's contract beyond next February.
'Even in the few months Cynthia has been here, it has been life-changing,' said Irwin.
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