After close to a decade of serving the community, the Stemete7uw'i Friendship Centre has closed its doors for good.
Outgoing manager Murray Casey said the closure comes due to financial difficulty and the other board members stepping down leaving Casey the last member standing. The closure comes after the centre was shuttered throughout the summer with the hope they would be able to reopen in September. Casey said shutting the doors isn't what he wants to do but has become necessary.
"Our lease came to an end and our board sort of stepped down but it is what it is. You've got to carry on and move forward and get things done," Casey said. "We've finished our lease and told them we can't afford another increase on our rent."
The Stemete7uw'i Friendship Centre was first opened in July of 2014 after the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation spent several years pushing for the creation of a gathering place for community members. It got its start in the old St. Timothy Anglican Church building, located behind the current church on Blackstock Road, where it existed for many years.
In 2022, however, the board and Casey, who had taken over as manager from Rob Diether in 2021, decided to move from the old church building to downtown 100 Mile House to provide a more central location for their clients. The move was completed in November of 2022 to 330 Birch Avenue where it has been ever since.
Casey said that while the increased access to the community was great, the rent on Birch Avenue proved to be a drain on the friendship centre's resources. This combined with a lack of volunteers meant operating the centre became difficult and largely fell on him.
"I understand in 100 Mile there's a lot of seniors and a lot of them are busy doing other volunteer things or are at the point where they don't want to give anymore. The young people that do come in are usually busy with their children and families," Casey remarked. "It would have been nice to carry forward because this community really does need this little service. It's going to be a loss for a lot of people."
Over the years Casey said many community members, Indigenous and otherwise, would come to the centre for some coffee, a warm meal or just to hang out and chat. It gave them a place to belong and Casey remarked there are a lot of memories tied to the centre.
"He's passed now but Archie Sam, he kept me on my toes. He passed of an overdose here in town but every day, even on Mondays when we were closed, he would come to the old centre and knock on the door and say 'I'm here for mush!' which was oatmeal," Casey said. "I'll always have good memories of the centre."
While Casey said there is a chance that Stemete7uw'i may return in some shape or form in the future, at the moment he doesn't think it's likely. In the meantime, he expects the services they provided to be spread out amongst the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association and other community groups.
"Unless someone comes forward and is really eager to find grants, funding and finances for the centre to run day to day, I don't think we'll be back. We're done, which is sad, but it is the reality of the way things are."
Casey said he would like to thank all the people who donated their money and time to the centre over the last decade. He added that 100 Mile House has supported them and it's because of that support they operated for as long as they did.
"I'll miss the people but I'm still around. It is a sad day but everything changes and comes around in a circle."
