Yukon's Filipino association takes steps toward developing a new community hub
Canadian-Filipino Association of Yukon received grant from Yukon government for the project
The Canadian-Filipino Association of Yukon (CFAY) and the Yukon government have partnered to develop a community hub for the territory's growing Filipino community.
CFAY president Dominic Pelayo and Yukon Premier Mike Pemberton signed a letter of intent to develop the hub this past weekend at the annual Fiesta Filipino in Whitehorse.
The Yukon government announced on Monday that it will be providing the association with $100,000 for the intitative.
Pelayo says the Filipino community in the Yukon has needed a dedicated community space for a long time. And as Whitehorse's population continues to grow, Pelayo says it's challenging to find spaces to host community events.
"It has long been dreamed of," he said. "It is a bit of a dire need to create a space to share our culture and to develop more programs that will fit for Filipinos, and non-Filipinos."
Pelayo says the vision for the community hub is an ambitious one. He envisions it as a multi-purpose space that includes a gym, a kitchen, office space, a childcare centre and possibly community housing.
"Where we can always share our food, music and at the same time involve everyone in Whitehorse in general," he said.
Pelayo says planning for the hub is still in the early stages and next steps include undertaking a feasibility study and looking into purchasing property.
"So $100,000 will give us a good start … we can hire people to start the program…. So it will [have] a huge impact."
With files from Elyn Jones